Estella Parkington (4): Order of the Phoenix
by Trixie Black Lestrange
Summary: Sequel to EP: GoF. What will happen now that everyone knows Estella Parkington, daughter of Death Eaters, was adopted to be Ginny Weasley? This story keeps an eye on Estella as she works to free herself from the shadow of Ginny Weasley.
1. Telling the Family

**I can't even believe that it's been over a year since I finished posting EP: Goblet of Fire. And yes, I did change the series name. I don't know if I can edit everything I need to, but it can't be Tom and Ginny anymore if there's no Tom and no Ginny.**

**Anyhoo, because of the length of time it has been, I need to get started on this story, even though Prisoner is kicking my a** right now. I hope I can power through everything and get it all done, because here goes nothing.**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**

She hadn't meant to meet the Weasleys as her true self, but she was not going to lose this opportunity. Ron had not seemed to notice her as he spoke to Hermione in an undertone.

Fred and George looked at her in amusement, and Fred said, "About time you shed that skin, Parkington."

"Yeah," George agreed. "No more imposters."

"I agree," Arthur and Bill said together, the boy looking at Estella seriously. Arthur looked around for Ron, pretending not to notice Molly's outraged expression of shock. "Shall we go, Ron?"

Ron turned and walked over to them, giving the black-haired girl a very strange look. "Yeah," he said. "But where's Ginny? And who's this?"

The Weasley father gave him a peculiar look. "Let's go home, and I'll explain," he told her.

The youngest Weasley boy hesitated. "Is it more bad news?"

"No," Arthur answered as Estella joined Fred and George in walking toward the barrier. "Come on now. Molly?"

The Weasley matron gave him the most awful look as they turned and followed, heading back to the Burrow. Estella did not move from Mr. Weasley's side as they all entered their home, a fear gripping her that something would happen as soon as she was out of his sight.

Ron frowned at them all, but Fred and George took comfortable seats in the sitting room and waved everyone into the room. "Let's have a chat about Estella," Fred said to them.

Estella walked into the room, then asked, "Where's Percy?"

"In his room," Arthur answered with a sigh. "He's been even more busy at work lately."

"Shall we have him come down too?" she asked, and George shrugged. "I'll get him," she sighed, turning toward the stairs and hurrying up them to her older brother's room. She knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer before she grinned up at his look of shock, then threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Welcome back," he murmured.

"Come downstairs," she said quickly. "Dad's going to explain to Ron all about Estella Parkington."

Percy's expression became slightly more serious, and he walked out of his room, turning and closing the door behind them. "You're going to be fine," he told her. "You can stay with me if you feel you need more safety."

Estella smiled. "Thanks," she said, and the two walked downstairs together.

Arthur motioned her to sit beside him, and she did so, looking around at them all. Ron was beginning to look concerned. "What's going on?" he demanded. "Where's Ginny?"

"She doesn't exist," Estella sighed, rolling her eyes. "I was given that name when I was adopted."

Ron stared at her, and Arthur said, "Ron, this is Estella Parkington. You've known her as Ginny since she was three years old because we took her in after her parents went on the run from the Ministry."

Estella looked at Ron carefully. "My parents are Death Eaters," she told Ron. "I was brought here years ago to be little sister to all the Weasleys boys: I became Ginny Weasley."

"No," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Yes," Estella answered. "I Cursed you and you had those memories hidden so you wouldn't hate me."

"What?" the boy said in confusion. "Stop playing around!"

Estella huffed in annoyance. "We're not," she snapped. "Your memories are suppressed, but like mine had been!"

Ron shook his head, and Arthur said, "We need to release the memories to you, Ron." He drew his wand, but Molly said, "No!"

"He needs to know," Arthur said to her firmly, and she turned to him and glared.

"It's too much!" she said in a high-pitched voice.

"Too much to know the truth?" George said, raising an eyebrow. "It's high time he learned it all, Mum."

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "Let him remember his bonding moments with Estella."

Estella grinned painfully, holding back a laugh. "I was a stupid three-year-old," she said as Arthur approached Ron, raising his wand as the boy hesitated nervously.

Seconds later, Ron yelped, clapping his hands over his face as he gasped, "It can't be—you can't have—why?"

Estella sighed. "Well, as you know now, we did not get along when I arrived here at the Burrow," she told Ron. "We fought a lot when I got here, but after we lost our memories, we both got along better."

"So…." the boy looked at her carefully. "Who are you?"

"My name is Estella Parkington," she told him. "My parents are on the run from the Ministry because they are Death Eaters. My father and I are Parselmouths from a long line of such, and he is the Serpent Keeper for the Dark Lord—my parents just returned to him."

"So...are you staying here?" Ron said with a frown. "What's going to happen?"

"This is where I live," Estella answered firmly. "Where else would I go? If none of my cousins' families would take me in when I was little, why would they take me now?"

"How did we get her?" Percy inquired, looking between his parents. "I mean, out of all the children out there."

"How did we not end up raising some Muggle?" Fred laughed.

Estella grinned and began to answer at the same time Mr. Weasley said, "I chose her. I saw her at the orphanage when we were trying to decide what little girl we wanted. They didn't seem to know that she was even at the orphanage until I asked who she was."

George glanced between his father and Estella, saying, "So you saw her and knew she had to be the one?"

Arthur nodded, and Estella grasped his hand tightly, looking up into his face. "My real mother had made it so that I wasn't listed as available for adoption, but that I was taken care of by the orphanage. She visited often, posing as one of the matrons so that she could teach me what she wanted me to know. Sometimes she brought my real dad with her and he taught me about the bitemates. She was the one that handed me over to you."

"I thought so," he murmured, squeezing her hand. "You were not happy to leave her, and you _did_ call her 'mother.'"

"That was Meretta?!" Molly said in shock, and Estella smirked.

"She had no intentions of giving me away, but you showed up at the wrong time," the girl explained. "She had been going to take me on the run with them, but she ended up having to hand me over to you. All she asked was that you give me the best care you could."

"But you're going to be on our side, right?" Ron said, looking at her accusingly.

"Yes," Estella answered, startling slightly as all her bitemates began hissing angrily.

Everyone was looking at her uncomfortably, and Arthur asked, "What are they saying?"

Estella didn't touch any of her bitemates as she normally would have, though she said, "They are the Parkington non-killer-eyes basilisks, and they are accusing me of being a traitor."

"Those belong to your family?" Arthur said in surprise.

"You lied to us," Molly snapped when Estella nodded.

"I _didn't know_!" Estella yelled at her, carefully controlling her magic so it wouldn't crackle. "I didn't remember what my real parents had taught me, and I _didn't_ _know_ that I was drawn to them because my family's magic is tied to them!"

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Have you met your real parents since you got your memories back?" he asked.

Estella nodded, her heart aching at the concerned look on Mr. Weasley's face. "He's really nice, but he can be scary. My mother is just terrifying, though." She grinned at the amused hissing from several of her serpents and added, "She's the one, Ron, that taught me all the hexes and curses I've done to you."

"You're going to go crazy and murder us all, aren't you?" Ron said, shaking his head. "I can see this coming."

"I'm not about to murder anyone," Estella sighed. "I have no reason to hurt anyone."

Percy looked around at his family. "All that will be different is that she doesn't have to hide her true appearance anymore. She's still the same person, you all."

She looked at him gratefully, and the twins both got to their feet, nodding to her before they went on up to their rooms. Bill stood up and walked over to Estella, offering her his hand. "As far as I'm concerned," he said firmly, "you are my sister unless you deny that title."

"Thanks," she murmured, reaching out and hugging him, ignoring his hand. "You know I'm not trying to distance myself from you. I just need to be myself."

"Of course," he answered.

"You're going to become someone else completely." Ron said accusingly.

"I'm going to be who I should have been in the first place," Estella answered, turning to glare at him. "It's not going to be entirely strange, but yes, I will do some things differently than you."

Arthur Weasley stepped forward, drawing their attention. "Estella. Ron. If something goes wrong between you two, or the other person does something to you that you think is wrong, I want you to come to me. It is not necessary for us to fuss and fight: we are a family, and you are almost adults. We will settle any differences the right way." He looked at them both carefully. "I want you to be able to handle your own situations, but please come talk to me if you feel it's out of your control."

Estella looked up at him gratefully and said, "Thanks, Dad." Ignoring Molly's sound of surprise to the best of her ability, she turned and went upstairs to her room, warding it against intruders. Sinking down onto her bed, she put her head in her hands, shivering slightly. She could feel her real parents offering consolation through the bitemates and through her and her mother's mind connection, but she just steeled herself and shook her head.

"It's going to be all right," Meretta said softly. "That was most of the struggle."

"I don't think it was," Estella whispered as Icythan hissed wordlessly, tasting her neck comfortingly.

"Missstress hasss nothing to fear with usss here," he proclaimed, and the others all agreed.

Estella cracked a smile for her serpents. "Of course."

Reginald was silent, understanding her fright at revealing her knowledge of her true self to the Weasleys. Either it would be for the better, or it would go very, very wrong.

* * *

Estella stood silently in Percy's room, looking on as he packed his bags to leave the Burrow once and for all. He still had an angry look on his face from the shouting match he'd just had with his father, and he hadn't said a single word since he'd admitted his sister to the room.

She seated herself on the edge of his desk, replaying his fight with Mr. Weasley in her mind. Percy had been promoted at the Ministry, in spite of the suspicions cast on him by Mr. Crouch being impersonated and murdered a few weeks before. It had been a simple suggestion of caution from Mr. Weasley that Fudge may want Percy to spy on the Weasley family that had made Percy furiously shout at his own father.

It couldn't be denied that Mr. Weasley was not well liked for his love of Muggles, but as far as Estella was concerned, Percy had no right to tell his father such things, or say that Arthur was the reason that the Weasley family was not respected. Perhaps Arthur didn't further the reputation of the Weasley family, but he'd surely made a name for himself.

Percy straightened up from making sure his spells had packed most of his things and turned to Estella solemnly. "Do you think I'm being stupid?"

She looked at him for a few moments, then sighed. "I don't know what to think," she told him finally. "I've never heard either of you yell like that, and Dad...he doesn't shout like that. He must be really worried, Percy."

"He should be worried," the young man huffed. "I'm sure he's right."

"Wait—what?" Estella blinked.

"Our family is obviously going to side with Dumbledore: everyone knows that," Percy said, rolling his eyes. "Why wouldn't Fudge try to spy on us? I'm taking the promotion, but I'm leaving, Estella."

Without a second thought, she flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. "Be careful," she warned him, pulling away to look at him with a smirk. "Make us proud."

Percy nodded, his eyes clouded. "I want to restore our family's honour," he said quietly. "But I can't see how." He gave a little shrug and Summoned his things to himself. "I'll find a way."

"I believe in you," she said to him as he opened the door to his room and walked down the stairs without a backward glance.

There was an uproar as soon as the others realised what was going on, and Molly's shrieks of outrage subsided to her tears of sorrow. Fred, George, and Ron were furious and yelled at their older brother as well, while Arthur and Bill looked on solemnly, Estella close by her dad.

Percy walked out the door and past the wards before disapparating with a _pop_!.

"He can't really believe that, can he?" Fred said in outrage. "Everything he yelled at Dad about?"

"He's nutters," George agreed. "We're better off without him."

Ron turned to Estella as Arthur followed his crying wife up the stairs. "You knew he was leaving? What did he say to you?"

Estella shook her head, saying quietly, "I watched him pack. He'd made his mind up already...the way he yelled at Dad—that isn't right."

"He's an idiot," Bill said sharply. "Dad's done well for us—I have no idea where Percy got his ideals."

"From the late Mr. Crouch," Estella said with a smirk. "The ideas about propriety and order and things."

"Crouch certainly knew how to live," George scoffed.

"Murdered by his own Death Eater son," Fred said. "Who is still running free, by the way."

Bill shook his head. "I can't believe he's alive. That's insanity."

Ron looked around at them all. "So Percy's basing this idea of respectability on the fact that we're poor, and that we're not well liked?"

"It's not about the money," Fred said firmly. "Mum and Dad have always taught us that, and if Percy doesn't accept that, he doesn't belong here."

"It's about family," Estella murmured, looking at each of them. "He knows that. I think he wants to bridge those two things, though."

"Thinks he's going to make us the ginger Malfoys, does he?" George said in astonishment. "I'd rather be a Squib."

"I wouldn't mind their money," Ron chuckled. "But if he wants us to turn away from Muggle-borns like Hermione to 'further our status' in the world, he's lost the plot."

Estella looked at the four boys and said, "I think that for him, leaving was the best idea for right now. It didn't happen in the best way, but he _was_ raised correctly: he'll make the right decision eventually."

"It'll be too late," Ron muttered.

"We will welcome him back!" she snapped. "He may be an idiot, but he's our brother."

"Unfortunately," George frowned. "He'd better wise up fast, because we've got a war coming."

"It's already here," Bill sighed. "And I shouldn't be telling you this, but we're heading to Order headquarters in a week or two."

Fred and George cheered and Ron said, "Really? Where is it?"

George raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it would be a bit dangerous if he could just tell you, Ron?"

"Even I don't know," Bill shrugged. "Dad says Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper, though."

"I can't wait," Fred said with conviction. "I want to be part of this."

"Same," George agreed. "Let's hope there's a spot left for us, eh?" He elbowed his twin.

"The Order is a small group," Estella said, seemingly out of nowhere. "I'm sure you can join, especially with how high the death rates were the last time."

Everyone stared at her, and she bit her lip. "Well, it's true," she sighed. "But I do believe that they are doing what is right, even though it is costly."

"Stel, sometimes you worry me," Bill told her, putting his arm around her. "You'll have to be on your best behaviour at headquarters."

She laughed. "I will be," she said. "I'll try not to say anything shocking."

"So," Ron said, looking around at all of them. "Who wants to write Charlie about Percy?"

* * *

Estella was walking down the stairs a couple days later for lunch when she heard a voice that shocked her greatly. "Hands _off my letter_!" She heard Molly shriek and a couple of spells being thrown. Estella raced down the stairs and burst into the kitchen, finding Molly with a badly cut hand and a letter lying on the table. "What happened?" she asked breathlessly.

"A letter from one of your little friends _attacked me_," Molly hissed between her teeth, nodding to the parchment as she turned away to fix her hand.

Taking one look at the parchment, Estella then glared at the woman's back. "You have no right to go through my post," she said sharply. "They have a right to curse-ward their letters."

Molly whirled on her. "I have to make sure that you're not putting us in danger!" she snapped.

"And yet we're headed to Order headquarters soon," Estella retorted. "If I'm such a threat, why would you take me there?"

"Because you can't be trusted to go anywhere without supervision," Molly answered. "Now take your friend's letter and sit down."

Estella sat down, gingerly picking up the letter, though she felt it accept her immediately. She could definitely tell a difference between the way Molly treated her around the others and when she was alone with the woman. Reading the first few lines, she realised that it was Meris' letter, as it was his voice that had yelled out at Molly.

"What does he have to say that's so confidential he has to ward the letter?" Molly asked, handing Estella her plate and scowling.

"Well, let me look at it," Estella sighed, unfolding the parchment and beginning to read.

_ Estella,_

_First of all, I did curse-ward this letter so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands: I did just see you walk toward a bunch of Weasleys as yourself. I'm fairly certain that you've had an interesting summer so far._

_ Mother and I went to see Dad in Azkaban a few days ago, and it was awful. __We weren't allowed to take anything with us, of course, and we had an Auror escort the whole time. Mum and I had to wait while they collected Dad from his cell and brought him to one of the meeting rooms. I didn't know what it was going to be like, and I wasn't prepared to see my father in chains, even though I've known that's been his __exist__e__nce__ for years._

_I just stared at him like an idiot. __I couldn't speak, or move, or anything. And one of the Aurors__—__guess who__—__motioned my mother to me and made me enter the room. __I didn't know what to say or do, Stel. I never realised before how much Mum loved and missed him. This __was__ the first time she's seen him since he was taken from her. __She cried, and could hardly stop._

_ I don't know what to think. __T__hey were talking about __not being able to be together anymore because Mother doesn't believe the same things the rest of the family does. I__'m sure I'm being overly dramatic, but I don't want anything to happen to her._

_ Hope you're doing well and surviving your big reveal of Estella Parkington. Be careful: there's a lot of weird things going on right now. I'll see you at school._

_ Meris Lestrange_

Estella looked up at Molly. "He went to see his dad in Azkaban, and it traumatised him," she reported. "I guess Meris' mother doesn't share the same views as his dad and his family. Meris seems concerned for her safety." She frowned, wondering what Meris had meant by his mother thinking differently from the rest of them.

Molly made a sound of disapproval, then said, "The boy's father should have thought of that before he went and made such terrible life decisions."

"I feel bad for him," Estella sighed. "Even though it is their own fault, the Lestrange family has been absolutely wrecked by the last war and all."

The Weasley woman merely "tsk-tsked" and didn't say anything else as the twins and Ron walked into the room, all clamoring for their lunch. Estella hurried to eat and get back upstairs before anything else could be said about her friends.

* * *

That evening, Bill knocked on Estella's door and told her that he was going to see Nymphadora and wanted to know if she wanted to go too. She stared at him for a few seconds, then said, "Am I allowed?"

"Dad says it's fine," Bill said. "I told him that you've met her a few times before and that we all get along."

Estella laughed, then stepped back into her room. "Let me get dressed and I'll go with you," she answered.

It didn't take long for them to be on their way, though Estella was surprised that her mother did not protest her going to the Tonks' house. She closed her connections to both parents, Icythan telling her that her mother was having a fit about it. "Well, this would be the last invitation I ever get to Dora's place then, wouldn't it?" she asked her bitemates, rolling her eyes. "I'm not going to her place to spy on her family. They mind their own business, and we should do the same."

"Then missstress shouldn't go," Icythan related to her from her parents.

"I've already said I would—" Estella and Bill appeared close to a street, but hidden from view by a row of trees "and I won't just back out. Besides, we're practically here."

Estella nervously followed her brother up the street to one of the homes, walking with him as he approached the wards and went to knock on the door. She stood there silently as the door opened and Andromeda Black Tonks looked them over before saying, "Good evening, Bill...and Estella, isn't it?"

"Yes," Estella answered quietly with a polite smile, though she felt like the witch was looking right through her and wanted to hide from the woman.

"Here to see Nymphadora?" the dark-haired witch questioned as she let them into the house.

Bill was about to answer when there was a crash from upstairs and he couldn't help laughing. "Yes," he finally chuckled.

Nymphadora came hurrying down the stairs, rubbing her elbow, her hair pink as she grinned at them. "About time you came to see me," she said to Bill accusingly. "You've been back for about as long as the Dark Lord."

Estella sniggered at this, drawing Nymphadora's attention. "You," Dora said. "When I felt your magic on the wards, I thought you were your mother and I was very confused as to why she would show up here. I was scrambling to get downstairs when I bumped the hall table."

"Bill asked me to come along," she said. "And I wasn't busy enough to say no."

"Ha!" Bill shook his head.

"Shall we talk upstairs?" the young woman said, stepping back before turning and leading them upstairs, away from her mother.

They entered Nymphadora's room, Estella surprised at all of the Quidditch and Weird Sisters posters on the wall. Bill turned to his friend, saying, "If you would ward the room, please."

Nymphadora raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that what's happening, hmm? Should've left little sister at home." She warded the room, smirking at Bill's slight blush.

He looked into her eyes and said, "Would you like to join the Order of the Phoenix in the fight against Lord Voldemort?"

The witch blinked as she tried to take in what Bill had just said, and Estella stared at the two, glad she'd shut her parents out of her mind even though the bitemates were hissing uncomfortably at Bill's words.

"I—I don't know," Dora answered hesitantly. "Sirius was here the other day and wanted to know the same thing, and Mum had a fit about it."

"Oh." Bill chuckled at this, then said, "I always forget that you're related to him." He turned and looked at Estella. "Sirius Black is—"

"I know," Estella sighed. "He's a poor, innocent victim. I've heard."

They stared at her. "Who told you?" Tonks asked curiously. "Almost no one believes he's alright."

Estella frowned. "I ran into him at school," she said. "He's slightly mad."

Tonks laughed. "Well, he _was_ in Azkaban for thirteen years," she laughed. "I want to know all about your meeting him, but I'd really like to ask you in front of him."

"Join the Order," Bill told her. "He'll be there. We're going to headquarters very soon, too."

"I don't know," Nymphadora said slowly.

Bill frowned slightly, asking, "What's wrong? You used to talk about doing something like this all the time."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to fight Auntie Bella? Or the Dark Lord? Or _Melvin_?"

Nymphadora full-on glared at her, the roots of her hair turning red. "He is none of your business!" she hissed.

"Who is this Melvin?" Bill questioned, looking between them. "He's been mentioned before…."

"He was a classmate of mine," Dora said crossly. "He's a Dark Wizard who wanted to be a Death Eater and we are_ not _friends anymore."

"Well, here's his chance," Estella said with a slight smirk.

"His choices are his own," the witch said firmly. "I fight for what I believe, and I don't believe in that Dark shit."

"So will you join us?" Bill asked his friend softly, motioning his sister to settle down.

Tonks looked at him, seeming to be thinking about many things all at once. "Yes," she answered finally.

Bill nodded. "Dumbledore will be in contact with you," he said.

"I assume that is all," Dora questioned, raising an eyebrow at the two. "Shall we go downstairs?" She crossed to the door, and both Bill and Estella knew that the visit was over.

They followed her out of the room and down to the front room before she turned back to them. "Next time you go visiting on Order business, Bill, do not bring little sister. She is a danger to us all."

Estella opened her mouth to speak, and Bill began to protest, but Nymphadora cut them off as her mother looked out of the kitchen in concern. "Her mother has the ability to link minds and project thoughts, and her father is bonded to those serpents she carries. They could be listening to everything we are saying. And Merlin help me, Estella, I will curse you if you put my family in danger."

"I will have you know," Estella said angrily, "that I closed the mind connection and told the bitemates not to relay anything they saw or heard here before we even walked onto the property. I'm not like that, Nymphadora."

"It will be asked of you!" Tonks said to her sharply. "It will come to that! And how can you know that some sort of information doesn't simply escape you?"

"Dora," Bill said in concern, but Estella cut him off.

"I was taught Occlumency by the Dark Lord himself," she said, making all three adults stare at her. "I was not his best student, but he does not train failures. I can hold my own against mind invasions, though I have not been tested under torture."

To her surprise, Dora smirked at her. "Joined the Death Eaters, have you?"

Estella shook her head. "This was in my first year, when I had that journal that contained a memory of Tom Riddle, the boy who became the Dark Lord."

Dora looked troubled. "There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

"Yeah," Estella agreed. "But I don't make a habit of betraying my friends, Dora."

"You're going to suffer."

"_You're_ going to suffer," the girl sputtered. "Joining the Order is a death sentence!"

Andromeda made a little sound of shock and disapproval, and Dora sighed, looking at the two. "We each have to stand up for what we believe in," she said, "no matter the consequences. Thank you for coming, Bill."

He nodded, then led the way out the door, Estella following him quickly. As they were walking back to where they would apparate to the Burrow, Bill said, "You certainly upset her."

Estella shook her head slightly. "I don't want her to die needlessly," she murmured. "I actually like Dora: she's fun."

"We're fighting for a good cause, Stel," Bill said quietly. "You know this. We've got to fight to hold back the darkness."

She nodded, beginning to be worried about the starting war.


	2. Karkaroff

**Aaaaaaand chapter two is here! Time for some action xD I've known and planned for years that Estella would be in on this, so here we go.**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Estella lay curled on her bed, stroking her bitemates and listening to them talk amongst themselves about Nymphadora, whom they called the "Colourful One." There were only a couple days until she and the Weasleys would be leaving the Burrow for Order headquarters and she wondered where they were going and what it would be like.

The girl was slightly concerned about her mother's instructions to her about the present evening, for Meretta had told her to be dressed and ready to leave the Burrow at 10pm. She only had a bit of encouragement from her father that everything was going to be all right, but she was still concerned about what was being planned for the night.

She waited patiently, dressed in black just as her mother had told her, her heart pounding in anticipation of what was to come. It was exactly 10pm when her father said, "Estella, join us outside. We must leave quickly, and don't forget your cloak."

The girl drew a quick breath, then made sure she had all her bitemates with her before she grabbed her cloak and left her room, creeping down the hall and stairs and letting herself out of the house. She followed the sound of her father hissing her name in Parseltongue and located her parents in the orchard.

"Come on!" Meretta hissed, looking around nervously. "We've got to hurry!"

"We have twenty five minutes," Reginald said calmly, looking at his daughter with a smile before holding out his hand to her. "Let's go. Perhaps we'll find someone to talk to if we arrive early."

Both of them grabbed his hand as he disapparated. Estella glanced around the moment they arrived, realising exactly where they were. "Malfoy Manor," she breathed, looking around with a slight shiver. The entire aura of the place seemed darker, more foreboding than it had when she'd been there before.

Reginald nodded, murmuring, "Your dream appears to be true. It is the center of operations at the moment."

"Oh," Estella said, biting her lip slightly. She shivered slightly and looked up at him. "But that means…."

"It means we've got to get you trained to duel," he answered simply. "In case I am taken from you."

Meretta raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Reginald? What haven't you told me about her dream?" she asked with a frown.

The man looked over at his wife and said, "We're fairly certain I was in Azkaban when the scene took place. We need to make sure Estella is ready to face the future without at least me, and perhaps you as well."

"Well!" Meretta said in surprise, shaking her head at the thought. "Surely we're not more likely to get thrown in Azkaban now that the Dark Lord has returned."

"I don't know," Reginald said, "but we must be prepared in case something happens."

"The Lestrange boys and I talked about practising spells together this year," she told her parents. "We're going to prepare and make ourselves stronger as well."

"Practise torturing each other?" Meretta laughed. "Sounds about right."

They approached the outer gates and Meretta proudly presented her Dark Mark, the gates opening for them. They had a short walk to the main doors, and Reginald reached out, ringing the chimes in the mansion.

As the family waited for someone to answer the door, they heard footsteps and turned slightly to see Brianna and Samantha Charleston coming up the walk with their parents. Samantha grinned and hurried up to her cousin. "Estella," she began eagerly, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

Every serpent Estella was holding hissed a warning and the girl jumped back in alarm. "They're on high alert," Estella said to the twins, "but they wouldn't hurt you unless I told them to. But we're friends: don't worry."

The adults greeted each other, then turned back as the gates were unbarred and began to open. Estella was pleased to see Narcissa Malfoy standing to the side as she and her parents led the way into the manor.

Estella was confused as to why her parents ignored the lady of the manor and gave her a proper nod. "Cissa," she said.

Narcissa gave her a small nod and answered, "Estella."

She followed her parents to seemingly one of the largest rooms of the manor, looking around subtely as she saw only two or three persons were there already. She recognised the first man to be Marshall Avery, but she did not know the second. The one who drew her attention was the tall, greasy-haired man that seemed unconcerned by everything around him. It was Severus Snape.

Estella couldn't help but stare, only looking away when her mother nudged her. _Occlumency_, her mother warned her. _And our dear Severus is a Legilimens, so be very, very careful around him. He's Dumbledore's pet and can't be trusted._

She turned back to the Charleston girls and realised that Brianna had been waiting for an opportunity to speak to her. "What is it?" she asked the twins.

Brianna gave her a very serious look. "Don't you know what's happening tonight?" she asked quietly, Samantha and her stepping closer to Estella.

Estella shook her head slightly. "What is it?" she asked.

"They're bringing Karkaroff in," Samantha said in barely contained excitement. "He dies tonight."

"Everyone gathering here," Brianna continued before their cousin could react, "was effected by the Death Eaters he betrayed at his trial. We will all be participating in his torture and death."

"Oh," Estella breathed in surprise, feeling her father's hand on her shoulder.

"He named your mother and me to the Ministry," Reginald said to his daughter quietly. "That is why Aurors attacked our home and we fled. The curse-wards your mother placed on you before we left have caused a lot of things that I did not realise were being set in place at the time."

Estella looked up at him carefully. "About the Longbottoms?" she hissed, receiving a nod from him. "Meris told me."

Her father nodded. "If you are asked to participate in the torture," he said, "you will do a Cruciatus Curse, which I know two or three have worked with you on, and step back to us."

"Oh. Okay." Estella drew a deep breath, her bitemates hissing enthusiastically at the idea. "Who is supposed to be here?"

"Well, there are some still in Azkaban that obviously can't be here, namely Rookwood, Mulciber, Travers and Dolohov," Brianna said, "but Professor Snape, obviously. Avery and Nott were betrayed and sent to trial but lied to get free...your parents, my parents—" She shook her head. "I forget the others. All I know is that he gave a lot of names, and he deserves to suffer."

Someone else entered the room, and Estella recognised Alvin Nott and his father. "Just remember," Meretta cautioned her, seeing the girl smile, "this is a Death Eater meeting, not lunch in the Great Hall."

Estella smirked. "Never had lunch over a body, Mum?"

The twins both laughed at this, and Estella glanced at them, suddenly realising something. "If your parents were named, how did they remain free? I've never heard them accused of doubting…."

Brianna frowned darkly. "When we were two years old, Aurors came to our home to take Mother and Father to the Ministry for questioning," she said. "The Aurors cornered Dad upstairs, where I was, and Mum downstairs, where Samantha was."

"Mum was captured," Samantha scowled. "There were three of them around her, one laughing, one taunting, and one standing by trying to keep me calm. Mother didn't obey them, even in her chains, and they used the Cruciatus on her. I was terrified that they were hurting Mother and I didn't know what was going on...I accidentally-on-purpose killed all of them. Wandless Killing Curse at two years old."

"Dad saw the green flash and thought one of them had got Mum, so he managed to overpower the ones upstairs and ran to help Mum," Brianna answered. "The Aurors were taken care of and things were smoothed over at the Ministry so that no more attention was drawn to us."

"Oh, that's awful," Estella breathed. "This explains…?"

"Why Pansy calls me a spastic bitch?" Samantha said, rolling her eyes. "Yes."

Brianna glanced at Estella's parents. "Speaking of your mother's family," she mused, "Pansy's dad _also_ lied to the Ministry concerning his Death Eater activities after he was betrayed, so he's supposed to be here as well."

Meretta huffed. "His decisions are his own," she told the girls sharply. "I've had words—and curses—with him about it. He sides with us now, but he wanted nothing to do with us at first."

The door opened again and Narcissa entered the room, two young witches with her. Lauren Avery nodded politely around the room and joined her father, but the shorter, black-haired witch did not acknowledge any of them. She went and stood a little apart from Lauren and her father, her dark eyes darting around the room guardedly.

"Ssstrange place," came a hiss. "Much hisssusss!"

Estella's expression changed immediately, and her father shot her a warning glance. "Massster saysss the holder of the other ssserpent isss a non-ssspeaker," Icythan told her.

"Oh." Estella couldn't help continuing to watch the dark-haired girl, especially as a serpent slithered out of the girl's collar and settled around her left arm.

"Missstresss, how can a non-ssspeaker care for bitematesss?" Nisi asked in concern.

"The non-ssspeaker doesss not know what the bitematesss need," Zisi added.

Tishri stirred, telling her bitemates, "Ssserpentsss are wise. They do not need a ssspeaker to sssupply hisssusss. They hunt to live."

"Missstresss providesss for Rykan, but Rykan huntsss asss well," the other serpent hissed defiantly, raising his head off the girl's arm a few inches.

Estella realised it was looking for the source of the Parseltongue, and hissed, "Icythan…." Her special bitemate slithered out of her collar and coiled visibly around her neck, hissing, "We are ssspecial ssserpentsss with ssspecial bonding to our Missstresss and her ancestorsss."

"Rykan isss a sssnake," Levir hissed tauntingly from Reginald's shoulder.

"Rykan can kill asss easssily asss any ssserpent," the serpent hissed in outrage. "My venom hasss ssstruck down Missstress's _sheisss_ many timesss!"

"Bitematesss!" Estella said in shock.

"It isss normal for them to sssay thingsss like that to other serpentsss or sssnakesss," Reginald informed her.

"It isssn't nice!" Estella protested. "Jussst because another ssserpent doesssn't have a Parssselmouth missstress, or a bonded one, or a holder at all, doesssn't mean that ssserpent isss any less important than our bitematesss."

All the bitemates protested this, and Estella shushed them gently, continuing, "To me, none are more important than you, but that isss because you are mine. Rykan protectsss hisss Missstresss: he isss a good ssserpent. _Tsez_, if hisss missstresss approvesss."

Teneski spoke quietly, "Missstresss isss good to usss. She isss kind to all bitematesss and mossst humansss."

"Most humans?" Estella giggled out loud, drawing the attention of far too many of the gathered Death Eaters. "I don't want any more trouble than I mussst, bitematesss."

Icythan tasted her neck in a reconciling fashion, and most of the serpents followed suit, all of them hissing with amusement as the one basilisk tasted her leg. Reginald could not help smirking at this, and glanced away just as the door opened and the Dark Lord walked into the hall.

"Kind missstresss," the other serpent mused, slithering back into the girl's sleeve as if sensing what was about to happen.

Estella watched silently as Lord Voldemort addressed them all, telling them that Karkaroff had been caught and was being brought to Malfoy Manor at that very moment. A few minutes later, there was a _crack_! of apparition and three men appeared with another man bound between them. She recognised all of them, the three Death Eaters being Lucius Malfoy, Crouch Jr, and Regulus Black.

Her eyes narrowed as they focused on Karkaroff, who was looking around in a panic, gasping for breath. Estella had never felt so calm in such a dangerous situation as she watched them handle Karkaroff, forcing the man to his knees as he begged for mercy.

"Igor," said the Dark Lord in his cold, high voice, "I am pleased you chose to join us today."

"I—my Lord," the man breathed in terror, his eyes darting around the room as he searched for an escape.

Barty shot him a look of outrage and snapped, "He did not ask you to speak!"

Lucius and Regulus exchanged subtle looks, and Estella wondered why they seemed both amused and pained at Junior's words. "Now, now," the Dark Lord said, "let's be hospitable, Barty. It's not every day a traitor returns to his master."

Estella grinned in amusement, her bitemates hissing in anticipation. "We won't make him sssuffer longer than necessary," she said in Parseltongue, holding back her laughter. It wasn't until Lord Voldemort gave her a look that she remembered he knew every word of Parseltongue she was speaking. The smile left her face as chills ran down her spine, though she saw her mother smirking and hoped that she hadn't been out of place with her statement. The moment the Dark Lord looked away from her, she felt her father squeeze her shoulder, though he did not speak.

She would never forget how quickly the torture of Karkaroff began, with each of his tormentors telling him exactly what they thought of him and why they were doing what they were to him. Estella's heart was pounding as she awaited her turn, watching the Rosier girl use _Crucio _with a grim expression on her face.

"You caused my father's death," the young witch said coldly, twisting her wand as the fallen Death Eater writhed under her curse. "It is good that you die as well now."

Lauren Avery stepped forward, her face a pureblood mask as she and Maura exchanged nods. "**Crucio**," she spoke quietly, performing the spell without angry words and expressions.

Estella tilted her head slightly as she watched Lauren perfectly perform the spell as was expected of her. She was surprised when her mother nudged her firmly, breathing, "Your turn, dear." Her breath was taken away as she faced the man, a frown on her face as all of her bitemates hissed their encouragement.

Unable to draw breath to speak, Estella raised both hands and concentrated. She recalled everything she'd been through since her parents had gone on the run and since she'd been given to the Weasleys. She knew how difficult life had been for both her and her mother and father for the past ten years, and she gathered these emotions into a powerful magic of pure fury.

The moment the Curse began to flow through her fingers, she smiled. Her victim thrashed in agony, much to her satisfaction, but she let up on the Curse far sooner than she wanted, half pouting in disappointment as she looked down at her victim for a few moments, sighing as the magic crackled in her hands.

"Not sssatisssfied, young one?" the Dark Lord hissed as another stepped forward to continue the torture.

"Not until he isss dead," Estella replied with resolve, her face blank as she continued to watch the torture.

"Which one of these should kill him?" the Dark Lord mused, all the time not turning from watching the torture as well. "Will you?"

"If I am asked to," Estella answered, her heart beginning to race in anticipation. "Though certainly there are othersss who have sssuffered more because of him...Rosier lossst her father, and above all, Karkaroff isss yoursss to dispose of however you wish."

An evil smile broke across the man's face. "Reginald, you and your wife have taught thisss one well."

The Dark Lord did not speak again until everyone had had a turn to _Crucio_ their prisoner and everyone was scowling down at the nearly mindless heap that had been Igor Karkaroff. With a mere wave of his hand, Lord Voldemort made the prisoner sit up with a terrible shriek of pain at being moved. "The betrayal of this filth," the Dark Lord said, his red eyes glittering as he looked coldly at the tortured man at his feet, "has resulted in the capture and imprisonment of our brothers. It has resulted in families being harmed and split, and above all, has resulted in the death of one of our own." He looked around at them all. "Maura Rosier," the Dark Lord spoke, and the dark-haired girl with the serpent stepped forward. "All of us should know or have heard of the death of her father, Evan Rosier. He was a loyal Death Eater whose betrayal caused him to be cornered by Aurors in a fight to his death. Unlike Karkaroff, Rosier was a strong, brave man who stood for his beliefs. Karkaroff's death, and the troubles he has brought on us all will be avenged in his death."

The Dark Lord looked straight into Maura's eyes. "Kill him, child."

Maura Rosier raised her wand and all the bitemates hissed their approval of the command. "**Avada Kedavra**."

Estella felt her mother's hand grip her wrist, pulling her back toward her and her father. She didn't look away from Karkaroff as he fell, though she quickly turned to look at Maura Rosier. She heard the Dark Lord dismiss them with an order for them to dispose of the body, then felt her mother trying to tug her away. She didn't move, wanting to go talk to the other girl.

"Estella, are you all right?" Reginald asked her quietly, placing his hand on her shoulder and turning her to himself.

"I'm fine," Estella frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"Well, we don't know how strong your magical stamina is," Meretta answered. "We want to make sure you're going to be all right."

"Oh, that," Estella shrugged. "Look: I've done far more than one curse and been fine. This is no different."

"Wandless is different," Reginald warned her. "Just let me know if anything changes. Your mother and I have to leave."

Meretta gave him a sharp look. "She's going with us."

He gave a slight smile. "She wants to speak to Maura," he said. "And she's going to return to the Burrow. She can find her way."

"Everyone else is leaving!" Meretta replied, looking at her husband and daughter. "They can't just stand around and talk!"

"No, but they'll find a place to go," Reginald answered. "And I think she has a slight acquaintance with Narcissa. She'll be fine, but we've got to go, Mere."

Meretta huffed in annoyance, turning and storming away toward the door, several people looking at her warily. Reginald smiled at his daughter, then placed a kiss on her cheek. "Take care of yourself," he said. "See you soon." He turned and followed the path his wife had taken from the room.

Estella turned around to see Lauren and Maura approaching her. "Lauren," Estella greeted her courteously. "And Maura Rosier, correct?"

"Yes, I am," the girl said warily. "Parkington, is it?"

"That's me," Estella grinned. "Estella Parkington."

Lauren looked between the two, then said, "Girls, it is getting late and the manor should be quieting for nighttime. Why don't we go to our manor since I know the two of you want to talk?"

Maura frowned at this, and the three turned at the sound of footsteps coming toward them. Estella scowled at the figure of Draco Malfoy appearing along one of the walls, but Lauren spoke first. "Draco," she said softly, glancing around, "we were just leaving. I'll have to tell you about it at school."

"I saw it," Draco smirked at them. "Nicely done."

"Nice to see me torture someone other than yourself?" Estella giggled in amusement, the sound echoing in the hall and making her laugh harder.

"Shh," Lauren said warningly. "He isn't supposed to be down here."

Estella rolled her eyes at this, but fell silent, a smirk on her lips. "Show yourssselves," she breathed to her bitemates quietly.

The bitemates quickly slithered to their attack positions outside her robes, and Maura's eyes lit up. "So your family speaks Parseltongue?" she questioned eagerly, raising her arm as her serpent slithered out of her sleeve and settled on her wrist.

"Yes," Estella answered sibilantly. "The moment you entered the room, I heard your serpent speaking and knew he was there."

"What were they saying?" Maura asked with a frown. "It sounded hostile."

Estella's bitemates hissed wordlessly and Icythan slithered out of Estella's collar and hissed, "Bitematesss are kind at Missstress'sss requessst."

"It was, at first," Estella admitted. "They were insulting Rykan. But I told them he must be as important to you as my bitemates are to me, so they will be _tsez_, friends, if we are and wish them to be."

Maura raised an eyebrow at this, and Draco asked, "How do serpents insult each other?"

Estella gave him a longsuffering sigh and answered, "They called him a snake. The bitemates basically told him he couldn't hurt anything."

"He has killed for me," Maura frowned, and Estella nodded.

"We heard," she said. "He speaks highly of you."

"Maura goes to Durmstrang," Lauren told Estella, "but she may be transferring to Hogwarts this year for her seventh year."

"Oooh!" Estella said in delight, regarding Maura in a new light. "All right, then."

Maura smirked at her. "I _may_ be transferring," she said. "With Durmstrang obviously having to find a new headmaster, I thought it might be a good idea to move closer to home for school."

Draco moved closer to the group and said, "Probably good for you to get better acquainted with the younger generation, as we are who you'll be working with if you continue in the footsteps of your father."

"You're a child, Draco," Estella sighed. "You're no Death Eater."

"Neither are you," Draco pointed out. "Do you really think we'll be kept out of the fight once it really gets going? Do you think Karntaan and Rohan will stay out of it?"

A grin split Estella's face from ear to ear. "Never," she said. "They can't wait to get in on the action, and I want to be right there with them."

"You're all children," a male voice scoffed, and Estella whirled, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Barty Jr sneering at them.

"We're hardly younger than you when you joined," Estella retorted.

"Don't," Draco murmured to her almost inaudibly.

Estella didn't back down, glaring at the man as he approached them. Lauren excused herself and Maura and led the girl from the room, leaving Estella with Draco and Barty. "You think you're ready to do what I've done, girl?" he sneered at her.

All of her bitemates hissed in fury as he came too close, Estella turning to continue facing him as he walked around her. "I can't do what you have done," Estella said matter-of-factly. "But I have my own powers and abilities. The boys and I are going to work together and become stronger so that we are ready when the time comes to stand at the Dark Lord's side."

"Boys?" Crouch questioned, glaring at her.

Estella couldn't help but grin as his expression reminded her of the looks his Moody impersonation used to give her and her classmates. "You know them," she said with a laugh. "The young Lestrange boys."

Crouch merely shook his head, though he said, "They have a lot to learn. You young ones all do."

"Yet you're the one who said I could be like Bellatrix," Estella mused. "Changed your mind, have you?"

"You are rash and outspoken," he said. "You act without thinking, but you're not even close to her dueling power. You must be able to back up your words with your magic."

"I will learn," Estella told him resolutely. "And I am not as rash as you think."

"Ah, well, we shall see, shall we?" the man chuckled. "Though it's time for you to return to those gingers, isn't it?"

"Who made you the gatekeeper?" Estella asked with a roll of her eyes, turning and walking toward the Entrance Hall with the man. Both she and Barty were surprised to see Narcissa standing there talking to one of the Death Eaters. Estella slowed her pace, but Barty continued walking, a look of disdain on his face.

Narcissa turned to the girl and smiled, taking her hand from Regulus. "Estella," she said.

"Cissa," Estella answered, smiling in return, then tilted her head and looked at the man standing next to the lady of the house. "Regulus," she said after a moment, deciding she wouldn't call him "Black" unless he asked her to.

"Estella, isn't it?" he said politely, holding out his hand to her. She lifted her right hand to shake his hand, but he took it in his and kissed it, to her shock. "I believe we've met once before.

"Barely," Estella murmured, trying to recover from her surprise.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "And where was this?"

"At the Quidditch World Cup," Estella answered, her eyes shining as she looked up at Narcissa eagerly. "I've met his two sons and seen his wife. I approve of them."

Both Regulus and Narcissa laughed at this. "Good to know we're Parkington approved," Regulus smirked.

Estella nodded, suddenly serious again. "And I don't care what anyone says: I'm glad you're still alive."

"Well, thank you," Regulus told her. "When I saw you at the World Cup, I thought you might have recognised me: you had a strange look on your face."

"You and Cissa have the same eyes," Estella said, looking between them. "Grey-blue. I knew I recognised them from somewhere, even though your face was shadowed and the fire was casting a strange light around the area."

"Yes," he agreed, then said, "Well, I should be off: I've been away long enough."

"You've been away far too long," Narcissa said with a smirk, and Regulus just grinned. The blonde witch walked to the gates and unlocked them, stepping back as they swung open. Regulus kissed her on both cheeks as he said goodbye, then stepped back.

Estella said goodbye, then followed Regulus through the gates, taking a deep breath and drawing her cloak closer around her as they made their way down the walk. "Has it been difficult, being raised by Weasleys?" Regulus asked after a few moments.

"I didn't know I wasn't one of them until a couple years ago," Estella admitted, blushing furiously. "Molly Weasley had my early memories hidden so I wouldn't remember my real parents, but I've recovered my lost memories." She shivered, recalling what she'd been through at St. Mungo's.

"So you are a warrior, like your mother and father?" Regulus questioned her.

"I am a warrior and a healer, I hope," Estella answered. "I am the Primary Serpent Keeper now, since I bonded to the bitemates first. Father has been training me, of course, and Mother has been working on my dueling skills and things."

"A Healer, though?" Regulus raised an eyebrow.

"I am apprenticed to Madam Pomfrey—" she stopped talking and glanced at him "just as you once were."

"I had to give it up when I became the heir," Regulus told her. "But after I disappeared, I took up my studies again and I have been a Healer for several years. I practise at the main wizarding hospital in Galway."

Estella smiled over at him. "At least you're not at St. Mungo's," she said. "I hate the place."

Black paused at the end of the drive and regarded the girl for a moment. "I like to think we're better than St Mungo's," he mused. "We get better results, and we don't treat Muggles, so we can use all magical remedies."

"Oh," Estella said in surprise. "Are you in charge of the hospital?"

"I am the lead Healer," Regulus admitted. "I founded it, but I'm not in charge of it."

"Sure you're not." Estella rolled her eyes. "Control it behind the scene. I will never be used to pureblood high society."

Regulus gave her a small smirk. "You've got to know how to play the game, Estella. Shall we be getting home now?"

Estella nodded, then said quickly, "One thing. May I tell Sirius that you're alive?"

The man stared at her, his face betraying nothing as he said, "Tell him he's an ungrateful bastard for leaving and I'll see him soon enough." Regulus turned and walked away, disapparating immediately.

The girl looked after him for a few seconds, then disapparated to the hills near the Burrow. She quickly walked to the house, entering the wards and opening the door to let herself in. With a breath of relief, she locked it after her and hurried up to her room.

The moment she set foot inside her room, a hand grabbed her by the front of her robes and shoved her against the wall as the door swung shut on them. "What—?" she gasped, hissing her bitemates to remain calm as she blinked in the bright light of another wand not at her throat.

"Where have you been?" came her brother Bill's voice as she was barely able to see his face behind the blinding light.

"Bill?" she breathed, her chest rising and falling rapidly in her fright. "What's going on?"

"It's late, Estella, and you been gone for a couple hours. Where have you been?" Bill demanded as the light came on in the room.

Estella saw Arthur Weasley standing by, his wand at the ready as well. "I—I was with friends!" she gasped, feeling the tip of Bill's wand press into her throat.

Arthur walked over to them and said, "Don't hurt her...Estella, it is a very dangerous time. You cannot be sneaking out."

Bill glanced at his father. "You're not going to question her? It may not even be her."

"What did you and I talk about just after the disaster at the World Cup?" Arthur asked her after a moment of thought.

"I said that I learned how to cast the Dark Mark from my mother," Estella shivered. "And you told me I knew too much for someone my age and told me to be careful."

"Very good," Arthur said. "I'll talk to her alone, Bill."

"No!" Estella's eyes went wide with fear. "I want him to stay!"

"Don't you trust us anymore?" Bill said with a frown.

"I can't trust anyone," she whispered. "Please stay."

Bill released his hold on her and motioned her to go sit next to his father on the bed as he stood by the door. She sat down and locked her hands together, looking down at them as she struggled to remain in control of her emotions.

Arthur Weasley was silent for a few minutes before he asked, "Where were you?"

Estella did not look up. "A friend's house."

"What were you doing?" Arthur asked.

"Talking," the girl answered.

"Should I check your wand?" Bill asked jokingly, receiving a sharp look from his father.

"I want to trust you," Arthur Weasley told the young witch. "But I am more than aware that you met your real parents and went away with them. I don't think the three of you would do just talking. If you want to keep them safe, they need to stay away from here now."

Estella raised her head, looking straight into the man's concerned face. "I witnessed Karkaroff's death," she said quietly, seeing the look of worry on both of their faces. "He betrayed my real parents and caused them to have to leave me. That is why I was invited to attend his punishment."

Bill took a deep breath. "So you were there with Lord Voldemort—" the bitemates hissed in fury "—and his Death Eaters?"

"Yes, the ones Karkaroff betrayed, and some of their children," Estella answered, a frown on her face.

"They tortured him to death, and you watched?" Arthur said, sounding grieved.

"Dad, it isn't that bad," she began, but he cut her off.

"It _is_ bad," he said, his voice carefully controlled. "You're going down the wrong path, Estella."

Estella jumped to her feet, outraged at this comment. "I want to know my family!" she snapped. "I want to help and protect my friends: that isn't wrong."

"You're not helping them by watching people get tortured," Arthur said sternly. "You're practically asking to be a Death Eater."

"I'm not," Estella whispered. "But what if it's my destiny? I've had prophetic dreams about the Dark Lord's return...I think my real father is going to get caught and sent to prison. I will be asked to take his place if that truly happens. It will be join or die, and I haven't even lived a life yet."

"Then don't go; stay with us," Arthur whispered, getting to his feet. "I cannot protect you if the Order decides you can't be trusted. They won't be kind and understanding, Estella. You're different."

"I know!" Estella snapped. "Can't they accept people who are different? I'm never going to fit in perfectly anywhere. I can't be expected to!"

Arthur looked at her in concern. "I'm worried about you," he said softly. "I want you to be safe and happy. I don't see those things in your future."

Estella nodded in agreement. "Then I'll fight for a better future," she replied. "I'm going to be okay, Dad. I'll do what I've got to to survive."

He sighed and held out his hands to her. "I love you, Stel."

She rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Love you, Dad," she whispered. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not," he murmured, kissing her head. "I'm very concerned about you. Please be careful, Estella."

"I will," she whispered.

Arthur released her, then turned and left the room. Bill gave her a short nod and followed his father. Estella sat down on her bed, her hands clutching the material of her robe. She said nothing, but the bitemates slithered over her body comfortingly as she heard one of them hiss, "Massster saysss Missstress did well."

Estella shook her head. _Dad_, she thought desperately, _what do I do?_

_Normal things_, Reginald answered. _Get ready and go to bed_.

She shivered, forcing herself to get to her feet and dress herself for bed. _He knew you and Mum were here,_ she whispered, pulling the blanket up to her chin and curling up. _Don't come back to the Burrow anymore. Just let me know where to meet you._

_You're not going to listen to Arthur Weasley?_ Reginald said, half in surprise, half in amusement.

_I'm going to do what I have to_, Estella replied, her eyes wide open in the darkness of her room. _Whatever I have to_.

* * *

**Is it too obvious that I love Regulus? XD**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**


	3. Grimmauld Place

**I don't like Sirius, but it is sooo much fun to write him XD and to taunt him XD**

* * *

The day that Estella and the Weasleys were supposed to go to Order headquarters, Dumbledore showed up to the Burrow. Everyone else greeted him pleasantly, but Estella stood back and watched from the bottom of the stairs, wondering why he was there. It wasn't long before Estella learned that they were all to travel to Headquarters by Floo.

Dumbledore set up the Floo for them, having Arthur and Bill go first, as they had already been to the place. Molly motioned the twins to go next, and Estella stepped up closer, waiting her turn. To her surprise, Molly turned and said, "Ginny, you're next."

Ron glanced at her strangely, and she huffed, "My name is Estella."

"Go on, go on," Molly shooed her on, ignoring her words.

Estella grabbed some Floo Powder and stepped into the fire, saying, "Grimmauld Place." She whooshed through the Floo Network, half stumbling out of the fireplace into a very dimly lit kitchen. She froze for a second, seeing two figures sitting at the table, before seeing Bill in the doorway.

"Parkington," grinned the man at the table. "Welcome to my house."

"Sirius," Estella said, few seconds after Ron had come through the Floo.

"Sirius?" Ron said in confusion, then spotted the ex-convict and said, "Oh hello!" The man got to his feet and came over to greet Ron, but Estella moved toward Bill, ignoring them all.

"Parkington, don't be rude," came a female voice from the table. "Where are your pureblood manners?"

Estella's eyes narrowed at the sound of Nymphadora's voice, and she turned as she reached her oldest brother. "Don't concern yourself with things you know nothing about, Nymphie."

Ron stared at Estella. "You don't even know who she is!" he said.

"Oh, we're acquainted," Nymphadora said cheerfully. "I'm Tonks."

"She's an Auror," Estella told Ron. "She's assigned to the team trying to find my real parents, though I doubt they ever will."

"Oh." Ron looked impressed, and Estella laughed at him.

"She's actually cool," Estella told him in amusement. "You'll see."

Sirius Black turned and looked at Estella, speaking as Molly walked out of the Floo. "You'll find this ancient house very entertaining, girl," he told the girl. "Be best friends with my old mum's portrait."

Nymphadora raised an eyebrow at this, getting to her feet and joining them all at the door. "No doubt. Estella, shall I show you to the room where you'll be staying?"

"Why not?" Estella shrugged.

"Very good," Molly said. "I believe we'll all just go on upstairs and get settled in."

Estella hung back, walking with Tonks as they exited the room, going up the stairs to the main hallway. "Be very quiet," Sirius warned them. "The portrait of my mother was placed on the wall with a Permanent Sticking Charm and nothing can take it off except more drastic spells."

"Like fire," Tonks said. "But Sirius said he wasn't about to try that and burn the house down."

"Though burning this place wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing," Sirius said sourly. "Although nothing could really hurt it except fire conjured by the Dark Arts. This house has other, better uses now."

"So you grew up here?" Ron said to Sirius.

"Pretty dreary," George agreed. "I can see how it prepared you for Azkaban."

A small grin played about Tonks' lips, but Sirius just grimaced. "Azkaban was more bearable. This house has been passed down through generations and holds dark secrets. My ancestors were known for their extremism and their Dark Arts: many evils were done in this place."

Tonks nodded. "The grimoires are still here, in the library. But that place is disgusting. This place has gone to rot."

"Kreacher doesn't do his job," Sirius said with a scowl. "He's the laziest house-elf there ever was."

"More than Dobby?" Ron asked.

"Dobby wasn't lazy, Ron," Estella told him. "He was eager to please. But he was also extremely disloyal to his masters and a disgrace to all house-elves."

"That's what I'm saying!" Ron persisted. "Even though I think he's amusing, Dobby's a weird one."

Sirius started up the stairs toward the first floor, shaking his head. "Just wait until you meet this one."

"Do you have access to everything in the house?" Estella frowned, remembering that Sirius had been disowned.

"Everything that matters," Sirius said gruffly. "There are dangerous things here, so don't go messing around, Parkington. Unless there's an adult with you."

"Not just any adult could help someone caught in a ward trap here," Estella reminded him.

"Most of the more dangerous traps fell with the passing of my mother," Sirius answered. "It's less dangerous now than it would be if any remaining true male Blacks were still alive."

_But Regulus is alive_, Estella wanted to say to him, though she kept her mouth shut. She would tell Sirius later if they had time alone together. "All right," she agreed with him.

Dora addressed the rest of them. "The girls are staying on the first floor," she said. "Unless they want to switch with the boys."

"We're used to being upstairs," Fred answered. "But we'll stay wherever, of course."

"I'm on the first floor too," Tonks grinned. "I'm clumsy, you see, and if I've got to fall down the stairs, Sirius said it may as well only be one flight."

Estella glanced at Dora, thinking that the young Auror was probably only stationed there to watch her. "Lead the way," she told Dora, glancing up as she felt the eyes of a portrait on her. She gave a gasp when she saw a group of shrunken house-elf heads on the wall, and Dora smirked.

Sirius chuckled at her reaction. "Poor innocent Parkington," he sighed as she and Nymphadora walked away down the hall.

"Those are Kreacher's ancestors," Dora told her. "I guess one of Sirius' great, great aunts started a tradition of chopping off house-elves' heads when they got too old to serve."

"And mount them on the wall why?" Estella questioned.

"Don't ask me," Dora shuddered. "I'm not one of the most ancient and noble House of Black."

Both girls giggled at this, and Nymphadora gestured toward a door. "I stay there sometimes," she said, "but I can't be here most nights because I'm either on duty for the Office, the Order, or both. And sometimes I'm at Mum's."

Estella nodded. "How's Melvin?"

Dora growled under her breath. "He's a fucking Death Eater, if you must know," she said. "He seems nice, but he's a very difficult person when you get to know him."

"So you've seen him since I told you?" Estella asked.

"I ran into him unintentionally," Dora huffed. "He asked me to join the Death Eaters."

"I'm not surprised," the dark-haired girl said simply.

"Me either," Dora muttered, leading the way into a room and flicking on the light. "We managed to clear enough rooms so that it's liveable until we can do some deep cleaning on this place. It's got doxies, boggarts, and pretty much every household pest you can think of. Then add to that all the dangerous artefacts that they probably have lying around...this place is insane."

Estella walked into the room, frowning at the layer of dust on everything, even though clutter had been noticeably removed by the marks in the dust on the floor. "**Pergo**," she said, waving her wand and cleaning the dust. "Perhaps I need to look up a few more cleaning spells."

"I'm not going to tell you not to do magic," Dora began.

"Then don't mention it," Estella replied, wrinkling her nose at the tattered sheets. "**Reparo**. Unless I'm wrong, I have to share this room with Ron and Harry's friend Hermione. I will do what I can to make things presentable and liveable and if possible, private for each of us."

"So you can disappear and do Death Eater things?" Tonks chuckled.

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed, fingering the soft sheets. "First of all, I'm not a Death Eater, Dora. Second of all, I don't think this is a particularly easy house to sneak out of unless you've lived here for some time, like Sirius."

Tonks nodded. "You know, Arthur Weasley knows you really well, Estella," she said. "He told me where you went the other night, but didn't mention it to anyone else. He's worried about you."

"I know," Estella snapped at her, glaring at her from the bed. "We already talked about it. And I don't have to talk to you about it."

"No," Tonks admitted. "Come on. Let's go down to the drawing room. I'm sure you'll be far more interesting in seeing Sirius' family tree."

"What?" Estella said in confusion, getting to her feet and following Dora into the filthy room just down the hall.

"This would have been very impressive at one time," Dora said unconcernedly. "When Mum finally understood what I meant by the 'old home place,' she was furious that we would use the house for Order headquarters, even as much removed from pureblood society as she is."

Estella frowned as Tonks halted them before another room. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked the young woman.

Tonks lit her wand and led the way into the room. "Don't touch the curtains," she warned. "They're full of doxies, and there's all sorts of things hiding around here. I wanted to show you the Black family tapestry. I know you've probably seen family trees and all, but this is slightly impressive, I must admit."

"Heritage," Estella nodded. "I've seen my family tree in the Chamber of Secrets."

"You have?" Nymphadora said, raising an eyebrow. "But I shouldn't be surprised. It does belong to your family, doesn't it?"

"Yes," she answered, doing some cleaning spells on the room. She spotted a cabinet that had a few interesting-looking trinkets. "Wouldn't the most valuable things have been cleared out of here already by Narcissa since she is the only remaining true Black? Excluding Bellatrix, of course."

"That is true," Dora said, "but there are a lot of old heirlooms here still, Sirius says. Perhaps the Malfoys didn't consider them valuable."

"Or didn't want to be associated with them," Estella scoffed, then grinned. "I like Narcissa: she's really sweet."

Nymphadora rolled her eyes at this statement. "Mother says that too, but Narcissa seems way too proper, even if she would talk to me."

Estella shook her head, approaching the dust-covered tapestry and doing a tentative cleaning spell on it. Dora said, "Do be careful. I know you've got Black ancestry too, but it doesn't mean you're protected from their traps, or immune to the dangers here."

The younger witch reached out and touched the faded fabric. "Little brother," she said thoughtfully, tracing some worn silver threading to the name _Regulus Arcturus Black_. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much," Dora sighed, glancing around the room. "Sirius and my mother believe him to be dead, a Death Eater fallen ill of the Dark Lord in the last war. Mum says he was the family favourite."

Estella nodded. "Cissa mentioned him once, then said she wasn't going to talk about him. I guess they were close."

Nymphadora gave Estella a strange look. "Since when have you had a chat with Lady Malfoy about her cousins?"

"Last summer," Estella answered haughtily. "I spent a few days with the Malfoys, Narcissa mostly."

"With permission of the Weasleys?" Nymphadora said in amusement.

"Well, Dad thought I was at a cousin's house, and I was," Estella pointed out. "He didn't tell anyone else when he let my cousins' mum pick me up from the Ministry that one day when you pointed me out to Scrimgeour." She rolled her eyes at the Metamorphagus.

Tonks laughed, her hair shooting pink. "He wanted to know what school girl was powerful and forward enough to send me a Patronus at work," she said. "Now everyone at work knows who you are."

Estella feigned offense. "I'm _just_ an innocent Weasley!"

"You're the least innocent Weasley," chorused Fred and George from the doorway, Fred adding, "Did Dad ever tell you what his mum said about you?"

"No," Estella frowned, turning toward them. "What did she say? Wasn't she a disowned Black too?"

"You may never know," George said mysteriously as Sirius entered the room behind him.

"Cedrella was gone from the House of Black before I was born," Sirius told them, "so I only met her a couple of times. She's more the Andromeda sort, if you know what I mean."

"Meaning she had a real reason to leave," Estella nodded.

Nymphadora sniggered at this, Sirius' face darkening at Estella's words. "Disagreeing with the beliefs of one's family is not enough reason to dettach from them?" Sirius demanded, glaring at the girl.

Fred and George looked alarmed, but Estella drew herself up, looking him right in the eyes. "You were the heir," she said. "You had a chance to let the House of Black take a different path, lead them in the right direction. But you didn't do that. You just left."

Sirius scowled. "The House of Black doesn't change, Parkington," he spat. "And if I led it? We'd soon be as insignificant as..."

"A Weasley," the twins finished for him, both frowning.

"I never put much stock in all that pureblood nonsense," Sirius told them. "The pretending, the flattery, the lies—I was not a dutiful son. I caused trouble because I was the heir and I could get away with it. Even at school I wasn't the best person. Smart, sure, and proud of it, but nothing like the Dark wizard I should have become as Lord Black. The Dark Arts never appealed to me, never attracted me, and that turned me against my family. I wasn't cut out to lead a pureblood family like this one. My brother was."

"You just walked away from him?"

"HE MADE HIS CHOICE!" Sirius yelled. "Father had been teaching him the ins and outs of our family ever since I got sorted to Gryffindor. It's not as if they didn't know I would leave."

"You didn't care," Estella scoffed at him. "You abandoned him and sold him out to the Order. Some brother you are."

The ex-prisoner moved so quickly that no one could stop him as he grabbed Estella by the throat and slammed her against the wall. She struggled to breathe past his grip, but smirking up at him, her eyes taunting him even as they watered from the pain of hitting her head against the wall. "Bitematesss, bite for pain," she commanded as Sirius snarled some insult about her family in her face.

Icythan struck out of her collar at the same time Odessa and three others attacked from her sleeve and lower body, all hissing in anger at the man's actions against their mistress. Sirius' yell of pain as he staggered backward made her immediately fear the consequences, then smirk at the suffering man as he glared at her, teeth clenched as he refused to make another sound.

"Do _not_," she hissed, "ever touch me, or my friends again."

He growled at her, but did not speak, and she walked straight past all of them, out of the room. It was only then that she heard the outraged voice of a woman screaming, "_Filthy! Mudbloods! Blood-traitors!_"

She stopped in her tracks at the obnoxious sound, then hurried down the stairs and came to a halt in front of the screeching witch. "Now, dear cousin," she said, "there's no one down here to scold. Why do you carry on so?"

"_Freak! _What are you? Another child of one of the _Order_?" The witch took a deep breath to begin again.

"No," Estella said strongly. "I am the only daughter of two Death Eaters, and the granddaughter of Ramea Black Parkinson."

"That means nothing," the woman snapped. "You associate with the filth overrunning the house of my fathers!"

"I was adopted by a blood-traitor family," Estella said sharply. "But I'm not like that. My real parent expect better of me, and I will follow their examples."

"To the grave," cackled the witch. "You're a child. Children do not fight wars."

"I'm barely younger than Regulus when he joined," Estella pointed out. "I will do whatever I have to do for my family."

Something seemed to snap in the portrait's painted face, and the curtains flew shut over the canvas, silencing falling in the Entrance Hall. Estella turned away with a sigh, walking back to the stairs and making her way back to her room.

Nymphadora was leaning against the wall beside the door, watching her thoughtfully. "Made a friend?"

"Who do you mean?" Estella said, beginning to laugh.

"The portrait," Dora said. "How did you shut her up? Sometimes she won't even shut up for two of us combined."

"Well, Sirius said he thought we'd be friends," Estella grinned. "I merely told her who I was and mentioned her younger son to her."

Dora laughed, standing up and motioning Estella toward her room. The girl glared at the young Auror. "You cannot invite yourself into my room, Nymphadora," she said in annoyance. "Go comfort Sirius if you're so bored."

The older witch raised an eyebrow. "I merely thought you would not want to discuss certain things in an open hallway," she said. "The portraits are always listening, and Merlin knows where they may lead."

Estella rolled her eyes, then waved the door open. "After you, Tonksie." She had a sudden desire to slam the door shut and ward the girl into the room, but she did not, continuing through the door and shutting it behind her, lifting her hands and warding the room. "What did you want to discuss?"

"How many different attacks do your bitemates have?" Nymphadora asked. "I know they can stun with their bite, and I don't know what they just did to Sirius, but it seemed really painful. He went up to his room to either suffer or die, or both, but he told me not to follow him."

"At least four that I know," Estella answered thoughtfully. "Bite to stun, bite for pain, kill, and one time, Icythan put me to sleep with his bite."

"Missstress wasss not well," Icythan recalled, and the bitemates agreed.

"And you've used all of them?" Nymphadora questioned.

"Except to kill, of course," Estella nodded. "I've even ordered them to Stun you and your colleagues once."

Nymphadora's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Estella became solemn, turning to stare into the Auror's eyes. "Do you recall the time that you almost had my father captured? The restraints on him and everything?" Dora nodded and Estella continued, "I had been alerted by the bitemates that Father had run into a bit of trouble, so I apparated with Mum from the Chamber so she could assist him. I watched them from a niche in the wall behind you all and set the bitemates on you Aurors when I had the opportunity. I ordered them to Stun and they did, but Mother wanted to kill you and I had to stop her."

"You little bitch," Nymphadora said to her. "You could have killed us all!"

The Parselmouth simply shrugged. "I have told my bitemates never to bite you to kill," she informed her. "Bite to stun, or to hurt, yes, but not kill."

"You would hurt me?" Nymphadora said in amusement. "I'd like to see you try."

"If we needed to get you out of the way but leave you awake, yes," Estella answered. "Actively distracted." She smiled slightly. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"For now," Dora answered. "You know, perhaps we shouldn't fight each other."

"I'm comfortable the way we are now," Estella replied. "You do not hurt my parents, and they do not hurt you. I will keep you apart as long as I can."

Nymphadora nodded. "Now, I'm sure it's nearly time for lunch. Perhaps we should gather in the kitchen?"

Estella rolled her eyes. "Then will you leave me alone, after that?"

"I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life," Nymphadora said with a dark laugh. "Come along, Parkington. They will be waiting."

* * *

**#wewillwait**


	4. Regulus

**I keep forgetting to upload...I sorry.**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

Estella spent the next couple of weeks replying to her friends' letters and helping Molly and the Weasley boys clean up several rooms in the house so that it was more fit to live in. She had already had to fight to get back two of her replies, one from Megan Sage and one from Rohan Lestrange, and been screamed at by Molly Weasley in front of some of the Order, namely Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Arthur had found out that she'd let her serpents bite Sirius and warned her never to attack Order members if she wanted to be safe. Estella had agreed, though she was fully aware that Sirius still suffered because the bites were not healing and he could not get help for them.

A couple days before Hermione was to arrive for the summer, Estella was sitting at the table when an owl arrived and all the Weasleys stared at it, wondering why it was there. "It's Percy's owl," George breathed, and they watched as it circled the room pompously, then landed in front of Estella, presenting her with the letter.

"Why is he writing you?" Molly snapped at her furiously.

"I don't know; I haven't even opened it," Estella muttered, taking the letter and shoving it into her pocket without looking at it as the owl flew away.

"Well, she was the last person to talk to him," Ron said, watching his mother carefully in case she burst out in anger or tears.

"Maybe she was kind to him," Dora suggested, Fred giving her a warning look.

Estella raised her head and looked at them all. "I promised Percy that he'd always be my brother as long as I'd always be his sister," she said. "We promised."

The twins frowned. "Stel, he left us for a stupid Ministry position," Fred said sharply. "He yelled at Dad that Dumbledore was a—"

"He did, and Merlin knows it was, and wasn't right," Estella answered firmly. "I will not so easily write him off as you all do. He was raised right: he will make the right choice."

Molly put down her fork and left the table, going upstairs, and George said, "Look what you've done, Parkington."

Fred just shook his head. "Won't be the last time."

Estella sighed, resting her head on her hand as she looked glumly at her lunch. "You know," Dora said brightly, "it'll be far more exciting when she stops leaving the room and yells at Estella instead of going and mourning her son. Have you noticed how much she's like your mother, Sirius?"

"On the contrary," Estella said, as Ron and George protested this. "She's more like one of those self-righteous do-gooder purebloods. Like Crouch the Grouch."

"She's a bit overbearing," Sirius said, with a nod to the boys. "But at least your mother means well."

"What does the letter say?" Fred asked his sister.

Estella obediently pulled out the letter and opened it, scanning it for answers. "He wants to see me," she said. "Secretly. Well, that's kind of impossible. He says he'll be at Harry's hearing for 'idiotic underaged magic.'"

"He will?" the twins chorused, and Ron said hotly, "If he _agrees_ with them, I'll—I'll—"

"He's a secretary, Ron; he'll probably be taking notes," Estella sighed. "It's not his place to decide Harry's case. Besides: Dumbledore's going to be there, and he's about as silver-tongued as a non-speaker gets. Harry will be fine. Harry will be going back to Hogwarts with us."

"Such confidence," Dora noted. "I didn't expect that from you, Stel."

"I expect Dumbledore to get what he wants, one way or another," Estella replied. "His manipulation skills are on par with the Dark Lord's."

Sirius chuckled, holding up his hand to stop the Weasley boys' protest. "She's not wrong. Though I am wondering why Percy is going to be there if it's just a small meeting in Madam Bones' office."

"Damnit!" Nymphadora cried, jumping to her feet and upsetting her chair.

"Is your Mark burning?" asked Estella, eyebrow raised.

"Piss off, Parkington," Nymphadora snapped, then turned and hurried out of the room.

"Don't tease Dora about that," Remus said to Estella quietly as the others continued to talk about Potter and the hearing. "I'm sure you know things like that bother her deeply."

"She knows I don't mean it," Estella frowned, glancing at her old DADA teacher.

"Even by teasing her, you're encouraging something that is possible, even though she is a _very_ good girl," he told her warningly.

Estella took a steadying breath and answered, "Well, I've seen things that make me believe she will never turn. Don't try to understand the connection that she and I have: it's too complicated."

"You surely don't make it easy for her," he said.

"_Remus_," Estella said intently, using his given name for the first time since he'd given them all permission to do so, "nothing about her life, or mine is easy. Everything is all twisted up and there's all kinds of grey in between the black and white. But I'm not encouraging her, I promise. She would suffer a lot, I know."

He gave her a strange look. "You would too," he said, and her mouth opened in slight shock, but he simply added, "Just don't encourage her."

Estella watched him for a moment longer, then nodded in agreement.

* * *

The day Hermione was to arrive, Estella did another thorough check of her room at Grimmauld, grinned at the picture of her cousins on the inside of her trunk lid, and went downstairs to greet the girl. She stood in the kitchen by the fireplace, waiting with Sirius, Ron, Molly, and Remus for the other girl to show up.

The moment Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace, she gave them all a big smile, set Crookshanks down, and rushed to hug Ron. "Oooh, Ron, I've been waiting all summer to see you and Harry," she gushed happily. "You've seen the papers and all, haven't you? It's really awful, truly awful. I've been researching defensive spells all summer to prepare us for whatever happens."

The brown-haired girl looked up and noticed the others, smiling at Remus. "Professor Lupin," she chattered on, "I've got questions to ask you..." She hugged Mrs. Weasley, thanking her for inviting her there for the summer, then went on to hug Sirius and tell him that she was glad to see him. She turned to Estella and began to say something, then stopped, just staring at her.

"Hermione, this is—" Sirius began, but Hermione cut him off.

"I know." The Mudblood was watching her carefully, probably wondering what she was going to do there. "So...?" She looked questioningly between the two Weasleys and Estella.

The black-haired witch smiled at her pleasantly. "I am Estella Parkington. Welcome, Ms Granger, to the wood-and-stone most ancient and noble House of Black, now fallen to its low state of Headquarters for Order of the Phoenix."

Sirius frowned, and Remus and Nymphadora shared amused glances as Estella stepped aside, inviting Hermione to follow her. "Ron," Estella said, "accompany us."

Estella led the way up the stairs, cautioning Hermione, "We must be very quiet until we reach the first landing of the main staircase. There's a portrait that likes to scream at us miscreants when we disturb her."

Ron nodded in agreement, and Hermione leaned down to pick up Crookshanks again. "Okay," she whispered.

Estella reached to open the door, then stopped for a moment. "Also, there are lots of unusual things in this house. There are severed house-elf heads adorning the wall of the main staircase."

The express of horror and disgust on Hermione's face was priceless, and Estella opened the door, leading the way into the hall. "Close the door, please, Ron," she whispered back to him as she motioned Hermione to hurry. The three hurried up the stairs onto the first landing and into the girls' room, Estella pointing out Hermione's bed. "You have your trunk with you, right?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, pulling a shrunken trunk out of her pocket. "Oh—"

For Estella had drawn her wand and levitated the trunk to the floor, enlarging it, frowning when her wand seemed to vibrate strangely. "I'm sure Ron will take you on a tour of the house...just be careful. Don't touch any of the ancient books: there are curse wards on some of them."

Hermione frowned at this, then said, "Well, they're probably all Dark Arts anyway. I'll be careful."

"The Order has a meeting soon," Ron told Hermione. "Dinner will be after that, so I guess I could show you the house, if you like. It's really Dark and dirty, though." Hermione nodded, scooting her trunk over a little bit and following Ron out of the room.

Estella stood there for a moment after the two had gone, then decided she'd stand on the first landing and watch the members of the Order arrive. She watched MadEye arrive, shaking her head as she remembered the first time they'd met. He'd shown up to Grimmauld to report to Dumbledore, but had seen Estella arguing with Dora in the hallway and tried to curse her, with the result that she'd run downstairs to Arthur Weasley and had had to be introduced to the Order of the Phoenix as herself.

Kingsley had already arrived, walked in with Arthur and waved to her up on the landing as she waved back at them. Estella recognised most of the wizards and witches that were arriving, such as Professor McGonagall, or even Professor Snape. The meeting started and someone warded the door to the kitchen, Estella rolling her eyes at this as the front door of the house began to unlock, ready to admit someone else.

Estella stayed in the shadows, hurrying down the steps and pausing as the door finally clicked open, a hooded witch entering the house silently and shutting the door behind her. She paused and took a look around, noticing the curtained portrait and realising how different the place was. The witch looked up and said, "Why are you standing in the shadows, child? Where is everyone?"

_Andromeda!_ Estella took a steadying breath and stepped forward into the dim light. "They meet in the kitchen," she told her. "But you're not in the Order. What are you doing here?"

"Sirius asked me to meet him," the woman said, her eyes narrowing. "Though I'm nearly certain I should not have come here at all."

"It is a little shocking that this was the Order's chosen Headquarters," Estella admitted. "I don't like it, either." She glanced at the kitchen door. "Are you going to go join them?"

"Absolutely not," Andromeda answered sharply.

"Shall we go upstairs before we upset Walburga's portrait?" the girl said coaxingly. "I'll let Sirius know you're here...I can send him a thought."

Andromeda's face broke into a smirk. "You are your mother's daughter, as Nymphadora says. Go on, Ms Parkington."

Estella turned and led the way up the stairs. "One of the children shares my room, so I don't think we'll go there...the safest possible room, ironically, may be the drawing room."

The brown-haired witch did not comment, and Estella led the way into the drawing room, reaching out with her mind and finding Sirius, thinking, _Andromeda is here, waiting in the drawing room for you_.

_Parkington—_ Sirius's voice said angrily in her mind, and she left him alone immediately, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Is he not pleased that I've dropped by at this moment?" Andromeda said thoughtfully, and Estella thought she detected the slightest amount of triumph in Andromeda's expression.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not just that," Estella told her. "He hates me. I allowed my serpents to bite him because he grabbed me by the throat: he's still suffering."

The witch did not say anything more until they heard someone coming up the stairs, both witches sharing a glance before turning to the doorway. Sirius walked in and snapped, "Out, Parkington."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "Manners, Sirius. Excuse us, Estella."

The Parselmouth smirked and walked to the door. "One thing, Pup," Estella said sweetly, turning back to them with one hand on the doorknob. "Regulus says to tell you that you're an ungrateful bastard for leaving like you did and that he'll see you soon enough."

Sirius Black reached for his wand. "Get out," he snarled at her. "I've heard enough out of you, girl."

There was a sound of apparition and Estella gasped in shock as Regulus materialised across from Sirius, closer to Andromeda. "Be nice to the children, Sirius," the man said softly. "You'll push them away..."

"Who the hell are you?" Sirius demanded as Andromeda also drew her wand.

"Little brother," Regulus answered, then smirked. "It's nice to see you have your wand back. It wasn't broken, then?"

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "You can't be my brother: he's dead."

"Oh, of course," Regulus agreed. "Just as the Dark Lord is dead, and Junior is dead. So what am I?"

"Imposter," Sirius growled. "How did you get in here?"

"I believe I apparated through the wards," the man said thoughtfully. "You should know, Sirius, Dumbledore may be powerful, but he's not a Black."

A grin split Estella's face from ear to ear when she heard this, looking at each of the three: Sirius, openly hostile; Andromeda, waiting cautiously; and the man who claimed to be Regulus, calmly speaking to them. The newcomer strode across the room and Sirius moved to curse him, though Regulus put up his hand and deflected the spell. "Don't, Sirius," he sighed, then reached out and placed his hand on the tapestry.

The wall sprang to life as if awakened from a deep sleep, the colours brightening and the portraits seeming to be more aware of what was happening around them. It grew. Estella watched as names, portraits, and silver lines appeared and connected on the tapestry: the House of Black had updated.

"Still doubt me?" Regulus said, turning to Sirius and Andromeda, putting his hands together in front of him.

"If you are brothers, you would have the same blood," Andromeda said, looking between them. "A blood test?"

"I don't want him near me," Sirius snapped. "He can't be trusted."

_Stop being a child, Sirius_, Meretta sighed in exasperation, shaking her head as she witnessed what was happening.

"Essstella, perhapsss you should not be showing usss what isss happening," Reginald suggested to her.

_If Regulus is a traitor, then we need to know_! Meretta snapped at her husband before realising that Estella had heard her as well.

Estella quickly closed their mind connection, telling her parents that she'd let them know what happened. Reginald agreed, and his awareness through the bitemates receded until Estella knew they were safe.

Sirius continued to glare at the man, and Regulus said, "How will you believe, Sirius?" He held out his right hand toward the ex-prisoner. "Here. Take the blood: I don't have my wand on me."

Sirius didn't move, and Andromeda glanced between them once again. "I'll do it for you both if he'll go through with it."

The older wizard scowled at the younger, then held out his hand, his gaze never wavering from the other man's face. "Fine," he said. "Do it."

Andromeda stepped forward and raised her wand, cutting first Regulus' hand, then Sirius'. "Put your hands together," she said, "and I'll do the spell."

Regulus flexed his fingers so that more blood welled up out of the cut, then lifted his hand and grasped his brother's hand. Andromeda pointed her wand at their hands and muttered a spell, both men frowning at the feeling of the spell. After a few moments, Sirius breathed, "How. How are you still alive?"

"I learned dangerous things," Regulus answered quietly. "I was fascinated by things that I would have been better off ignorant of. But in that, I was able to disappear for a while."

"But you couldn't be traced through your Mark," Estella sputtered. "You found a way—"

"Do _not_ speak of it," Regulus said warningly, giving her a sharp look. "I conveniently disappeared to not have to explain my curiousity to the Dark Lord...which I have had to do since I came back."

"Why did you come back?" Andromeda asked. "If you had escaped with your life, and no one knew, why would you come back?"

Regulus' face softened slightly. "I have two sons," he murmured, releasing Sirius' hand and looking between him and their cousin, "and I want them to go to Hogwarts, like we did. I came back to fight for them."

Sirius stared at his brother in shock. "Two sons? Does one start this year?"

"Year after." Regulus smiled slightly, turning and pointing to the tapestry. "Mordor is the younger: he's got brown eyes like his mother. Braen is the older one, and he's full of mischief. They have a very good mother...I do love her."

Andromeda stepped closer to the tapestry, and Regulus chuckled to himself, Andromeda giving him a sideways glance and making him laugh again. "She's got red hair?" Andromeda breathed. "Regulus!"

Estella raised an eyebrow at this as Regulus smirked slightly. "You yourself were born with red hair, Dromeda," he reminded her. "Bronwen is gentle, but very strong, and she's a wonderful mother to my sons."

"So why did you visit here?" Estella questioned, tilting her head. "Besides it being the old home place. How is this house even open to Sirius still if you're in charge?"

"Father and I never warded him out," Regulus replied. "I refused to do it, and my magic was needed to seal the ward. I never wanted to live here with my family, so I left the place open to Sirius in case he needed it. I didn't intend to shelter the entire Order of the Phoenix, but...things happen."

Regulus stepped away from the tapestry. "There are a few things I need to take care of here before I go, Sirius...I take it the Order is still in the kitchen?" Sirius nodded and Regulus walked over to the glass case, opening it easily and taking out the ring that had been in there. "Left my signet ring," he said simply.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Siris told him.

"I tried that," Regulus sighed. "It didn't work. So I've prepared my wife and sons in case something does happen to me, but I've come back to do what I should have done years ago: remain loyal."

"It seems as if your disappearing was good for your family, but not your own well-being," Andromeda mused.

"I don't care what happens to me," Regulus said, almost too sharply, and he gave his cousin a slight look of apology. "My sons are more important. I don't want them to turn out like our generation did."

Andromeda gave him a small smirk. "You seem to be doing fairly well, Lord Black. Now if only your sons turn out just as good as you..."

"May they turn out better," Sirius corrected Andromeda. "We were all rather misbehaved as children."

"Children learn their adulthood from their childhood," Regulus agreed. "Perhaps I'll bring Braen and Mordor with me to meet you after Hogwarts starts back."

"I don't like kids," Sirius frowned. "At least, ones that I don't know well or that I know too well, like Parkington." He shot a glare in her direction.

Regulus chuckled. "Well, they want to meet you anyway. You'll have to try to scare them off, Sirius." He turned to look at all of them. "I'll be up in my room for a few moments and then I'll be leaving. Parkington..."

Estella looked at him, drawing herself up and waiting for him to speak. "Don't you think it's time you healed Sirius? I'm sure it's not easy to run errands for the Order with those open bites paining him. We wouldn't want to interfere in the Order's business."

"Heal him yourself, if you care so much," Estella scoffed. "He's doing fine."

"I would, you see," Regulus began, "but you could do it much faster. You have already allowed him to suffer for nearly two weeks."

Estella rolled her eyes at this, then held out her right hand and hissed, "Icythan, ssstrike my finger."

The serpent obeyed, and Estella barely flinched as she examined the blood and venom oozing from her bite before she flitted over to Sirius. "Hand," she ordered him. He scowled at her, but held out his right hand to her and she examined it for a moment before finding the bite on his arm and pressing her finger to the bite.

He flinched only slightly, but she was aware that it hurt him, even as her blood combined with the venom of her basilisks neutralised the venom in his blood. When it was done, she stepped back and cleaned the blood off her hand, healing the bite. "Feel better?" she asked sweetly.

"No thanks to you," Sirius grumbled.

"Be careful," Estella said, turning to Regulus as she sensed he was about to disapparate. He nodded, then was gone.

Sirius turned to Estella. "What kind of devilry is this?" he snapped at her. "Did you know about him?"

Estella nodded. "He was present at Karkaroff's death," she reported, "though he did not assist. He returned when the Dark Lord rose and called his followers in the graveyard. My parents explained to me who he was—I've seen him before. He and his family were at the Quidditch World Cup last summer."

"He is Regulus—he is your brother," Andromeda said to Sirius quietly. She glanced at Estella with a dismissive nod, and Estella nodded politely, then turned and left the room.

Estella hurried back to her bedroom, warding the room for only Hermione to enter, then sat down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. "Sirius is an idiot," she declared audibly, unable to not say it out loud.

_Yes_, Meretta and Reginald agreed together, making Estella groan and fall backward onto the bed.

_I can't stand him_, she sighed. _He wouldn't even believe_—_ugh. If it weren't for Andromeda, those two would have fought, I'm almost certain._

_ Quite possibly,_ Reginald mused. _It seems that little Regulus finally grew up, though. He __was only eighteen when he disappeared...I am curious to know what his family will be like._

_The boys were fun when I met them_, Estella said. _From what I can remember. I hope they survive. I'm glad the House of Black didn't __end__._

_They don't die easily,_ Meretta smirked. _My mother was a Black herself, and she's a very strong woman._

Estella agreed, remembering meeting her grandmother Ramea for the first time. _I'm not House of Black material_, she said thoughtfully. _I think they would drive me insane._

_No Blacks and no Malfoys for you?_ Meretta smirked, both she and Reginald amused at this.

_I guess not_, Estella giggled to herself, stroking Odessa as the serpent nudged her arm gently. _That's okay, though. Plenty of sissshausss out there._

Reginald laughed heartily. _ And time,_ he said. _You're almost fourteen, and that's still young._

Estella grinned, and Meretta suddenly remembered something. _You haven't written __Rohan__ back, have you?_

_And I never wrote Percy back like I was going to_, Estella sighed. _I'm a terrible sister._

_I understand your feelings_, Reginald told her. _But his decisions are not your responsibility and you don't have to keep up with him._

_I know_, Estella murmured, shaking her head slightly. _I just want to let him know that someone still cares._ _I'll write Rohan after supper,_ she decided. _Right now I'm going to read one of those Charms books Hermione brought with her._

Her parents agreed and left her alone, Estella Summoning the book and beginning to read, hoping to keep herself out of trouble. At least, until it was time for dinner.

* * *

**AHA! Regulus is back xD I love him.**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**


	5. Shaul and Mathis

"Estella?"

The black-haired girl groaned sleepily, rolling over and pulling the blanket more securely around her, feeling the bitemates slither over her. "Go 'way," she mumbled to the offending witch at her bedside.

A sigh answered her, and the girl persisted, "Your mum—well, Mrs. Weasley—sent me to come get you. Everyone's at breakfast, and they've been wondering about you." She sat down on Estella's bed and reached over, rubbing the girl's arm. "Wake up now."

Odessa peeked out of Estella's sleeve and the other witch gave a little gasp, making Estella giggle and turn over to look at Hermione Granger, blinking sleepily. "Were you really out late last night?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice.

"No," Estella yawned. "Who thinks I've been out?"

"Well, I heard Tonks ask Mr. Weasley if he thought you had been out," Hermione said seriously. "She just came in from her overnight shift and heard you weren't out of bed yet."

"She needs to mind her own business," Estella complained. "I never sneaked out of the Burrow: why would I sneak out of Grimmauld?"

Hermione frowned. "Well, they would have to have some reason, wouldn't they?" she asked. "I mean, they aren't really the type to assume things, are they?"

Estella sighed and hissed her bitemates into her lap so she could sit up. "Dad's not," she told Hermione. "Nymphadora is just nosy and assumes that I want to run off and join the Dark Lord like a Death Eater's perfect daughter."

"She doesn't like being called Nymphadora," Hermione said tentatively.

"Oh, I know," Estella grinned, stroking her bitemates lovingly. "But she and I have a sort of love-hate relationship, and I can get away with it most of the time. As long as I don't say her name wrong, or call her Nymphie, she won't get really mad at me."

Hermione smiled. "She seems to be very nice," the brown-haired witch said in a low voice, "though sometimes I wonder if her mother's family has any influence on her."

Estella reached out and took Hermione by the hand. "You can trust her," Estella said firmly. "More than me. She may be a little wild and vivid, but she was a Hufflepuff: she's loyal and kind—you know, Cedric recommended her to me. You'll probably get along with her better than I do because you have nothing between you. Dora's like an annoying older sister that drives me crazy but I'd fight for her."

The older witch laughed slightly and nodded. "All right."

"She channels her power into fighting for the Light," Estella added. "You don't have to worry about her: she made her decision at school."

Hermione jumped to her feet. "I'm going back down to finish breakfast," she said. "Hurry up and join us: I think Tonks will still be there."

The other girl left the room and Estella sat there for a few moments longer, listening to the bitemates talk about her. Hissing the bitemates onto her body, she stepped over to the wardrobe and began to dress herself for the day. A few minutes later, she made her way down the stairs, stopping in shock when she saw a house elf cleaning the frame of Walburga Black's portrait. There was no angry, screeching witch in the frame, and the curtains were wide open.

In the next second, the witch appeared, and the elf turned to look at her, an ugly expression on his old face. Estella was a bit concerned at first, but hurried down the last couple of steps and rushed off to the kitchen before either of them could say anything to her. "Weird old elf," she muttered to herself as the steps creaked beneath her feet.

She could hear the breakfast guests before she saw them, silverware clinking and scraping and the chairs moving. She could hear Sirius and Remus laughing together and heard Dora's good-natured protests—she gasped as she nearly collided with someone headed for the stairs. "Dad," she breathed, then said, "Oh, good luck at the Ministry today."

Arthur Weasley smiled at her, kissed the top of her head, and hurried on up the stairs. _And good luck with the house-elf_, she thought to herself wryly as she entered the kitchen.

"Parkington!" Nymphadora cheered, making the girl give her a wary look. Today, the Metamorphagus was sporting a brown ponytail that faded to blonde with pink at the very end. Everyone looked up when Dora greeted the newcomer, and Estella could only walk forward and sit down next to Hermione, trying to act as sleepy as possible.

"What do you think?" George demanded of her.

"Think of what?" she groaned. "Give me some oatmeal: I'm starving."

Bill chuckled, getting up from the table and squeezing her shoulder as he walked by. "See you later," he said, giving a final wave to everyone.

Fred snapped his fingers at Estella to get her attention, and she hissed at him wordlessly, making all her bitemates hiss with amusement at both of them. "Well," he began.

"—if you paid attention," George added.

She glared at them both, taking her bowl of oatmeal from Remus, who had kindly retrieved some for her. "What are you asking me about?"

The twins leaned in from across the table. "Dumbledore says we aren't to tell Harry anything that's happening," Fred said mysteriously. "Says it might endanger everything."

"Keep Harry in the dark to make him angry?" Estella asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what I'm saying!" Sirius said loudly. "He's got to be told at least some things!"

"Dumbledore has Harry's best intentions in mind," Hermione began, but Estella sat up straight and looked at Sirius.

"For the greater good," she said intently. "What if Dumbledore is only protecting Harry in hopes of him being able to defeat the Dark Lord when he's older?"

"Absolutely not," Ron snapped at her. "Harry's not a sacrifice!"

Remus looked over at Estella with a strange look. "Dumbledore would not do that to a child for the sake of the whole world," he said.

_No,_ Meretta scoffed in Estella's mind. _The poor boy will be given a choice in the matter: fight and die, or just die._

Estella held back a giggle and planted the thought into Dora's mind with the introduction of "Meretta says." Nymphadora blinked, then leaned forward and leant her head on her hand, her elbow on the table as she hid her face. _Don't make me laugh,_ Dora warned her. _And get out of my head, girl._

"Perhaps not," Estella agreed. "But I'm not sure it's wise to keep Harry completely ignorant of everything."

"He'll know once he's here," Hermione sighed. "That's as much as we can do. We can't disobey Dumbledore."

"Parkington could send Harry her Parselmouth Patronus," Nymphadora smirked at the girl.

Hermione turned and stared at the girl, while Molly's mouth fell open. "You? _You_ have a Patronus?"

Estella gave Nymphadora a look of annoyance, then drew her wand and thought of all the _decent_ times she'd spent with her parents in the last year. Before anyone could protest her underaged magic, she spoke, "**Expecto Patronum**." When her Serpent Patronus had materialised in front of her, she hissed a few words in Parseltongue and sent the Patronus off quickly.

"What did you say?" breathed Hermione and Fred at the same time.

"I said he hasn't been forgotten and that we can't put things into writing for him to see," Estella answered promptly. "And I said that the messages can't be sent by Patronus because the Muggle house he's staying in is not secure."

"It's not even safe to send Parseltongue messages because of Estella's father," Sirius said in annoyance. "They can be translated."

Estella rolled her eyes at him. "We're gaining in numbers," she grinned. "We counted seventeen or so last time."

Ron stared at her. "Seventeen Parselmouths? Who are they?"

"You know that red-haired Slytherin girl in my year?" Estella asked him. "Megan Sage? Her whole family is like us. The Sage line descended from the Parkingtons a few generations back. Her, her father, his little brother, his three children—and of course all their blood relatives that are still alive. We only have my father and I and the...two boys."

Estella winced slightly as her parents tried to stop her from saying it, but it was already out there. "You have blood brothers?" Remus asked gently.

She nodded, looking down at her oatmeal as she refused to make eye contact with anyone. "They're in a Muggle orphanage," she muttered. "They don't know anything about us...Mum and Dad haven't seen them in years. I've never even seen a picture of them before."

"Missstress will sssee the other young onesss," the bitemates reassured her firmly.

"That's sad," Hermione said softly. "I didn't know."

"No one knows," Estella huffed. "I wasn't supposed to say anything."

Nymphadora got to her feet with a loud yawn. "Well, I've got to get a nap, or I'll never be able to function," she said brightly. "Good night, all." She tripped out of the room and up the stairs, making the others chuckle at her.

"Poor Harry," Estella said to Hermione in a lower tone. "He's bound to be frustrated. Hopefully that message will help him."

"How can you do a Patronus already?" Hermione breathed, looking at Estella with slight admiration. "I mean, Harry can, but..."

"I asked Lupin to teach me," Estella said with a slight grin. "Almost two years ago. He's good, you know."

Hermione sighed. "I want to learn it, but it seems difficult."

Estella shrugged, turning to focus on her oatmeal. "Ask Harry to teach you when he has a chance."

"_Hisssusss_," Zisi requested, and the other bitemates joined in.

"When we are away from the _sheisss_," Estella told them firmly. "Sssorry, bitematesss." They fell silent, and Estella turned back to Hermione. "So how has your summer been?"

* * *

A couple days later, Estella was sitting in the drawing room with a book when Hermione hurried into the room. "Estella!" she said quickly, glancing around the room before grinning. "They're going to get Harry tonight."

Estella shut her book and nodded, Hermione glancing at the book in interest. "Isn't that a book from this house's library?" she asked with a frown, and Estella nodded again. "I thought you said that was dangerous."

"Well, it did test my blood when I picked it up," Estella admitted. "But otherwise, it is safe. It's a book of curses—some of the others are far worse." She got to her feet and crossed the room to the doorway. "I mean, it's the wood-and-stone House of Black: what do you expect?"

Hermione trailed after her as she headed up the stairs toward the library and study, Crookshanks winding around her ankles. "We've got to be careful," Hermione insisted. "We don't know what could be lurking in the corners of this house."

"Well, when we first got here," Estella informed Hermione, "Sirius told us that the most harmful curse wards fell with the death of his mother. But I usually see if I can feel the ward on something before I try to breach it."

"Do you think you could teach me some wards?" Hermione asked hopefully, eagerly. "I think they'd be really useful, you know."

Estella laughed. "They are," she agreed. "I'll show you some later, then help you out a bit at school if we have time.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Thank you!" she said, reaching out and grabbing the younger girl in a hug.

Estella froze in shock, her bitemates hissing nervously, but she gingerly patted Hermione on the back, then turned to see Mr. Weasley standing in the doorway. "Dad," she said with a smile.

"May I speak to you for a moment, Estella?" he asked, giving Hermione a polite smile and nod.

Estella immediately went to join him, following him downstairs before he told her, "We're going out, so bring your cloak." She reached out her hand and Summoned her cloak, making him sigh and shake his head.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, looking up at his face.

"Wait until we're out of here," he cautioned her as they reached the main floor. They walked to the front door and waited as it unlocked at Mr. Weasley's spell.

Having just spoken with Hermione about wards, Estella couldn't help but be curious and touched the door, feeling the magic crackle away. "It's warded against you."

"What?" Estella said in shock, looking at Mr. Weasley.

"Look: I'm not supposed to tell you," he murmured, "but it's warded against your magic. You can't enter or leave by yourself. It's a precaution we were required to take when we brought you here."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "Molly's idea, or Dumbledore's?"

"It was mine," the man answered, leading the way out of the house. "Even though you probably won't agree with me, I want to do my best to protect you and lead you in the right way."

"I love you, Dad," she said, reaching over and hugging him, feeling his left arm wrap around her firmly. "So where are we going?"

"The orphanage," he answered, gripping her arm more tightly and disapparating.

Estella's mind screamed out in fear as she couldn't speak mid-apparition and her parents were immediately there, concerned, asking what was wrong. _He's taking me back to the orphanage,_ she panicked.

_He wouldn't_, Meretta said firmly. _I'll kill him._

_It's going to be all right_, Reginald reassured her as Estella and Arthur materialised outside her old orphanage.

"Why?" she breathed. "D—dad?"

"What do you remember about being here?" he asked quietly.

"I hate this place," Estella shivered. "I don't want to be here. Please, let's go."

Arthur Weasley nodded. "We don't have to go in. But you remember how cold and lonely it was?" he said gently. "Even though you saw your mother often?"

She nodded, unable to speak as a tear fell onto her cheek. Her bitemates were completely silent, and Meretta was raging about Arthur probably trying to tell her that's what it would be like in Azkaban, but Estella couldn't turn away from the orphanage. "Why?" she choked finally. "Why would you bring me here?"

"To put you in the right mindset," Arthur answered. "We're going to see your brothers, and I want you to be prepared for the anger, or even fear that they may display towards outsiders like us."

"No, no, no," Estella shook her head, even as both her blood parents encouraged her to listen to him. "I—I can't."

Arthur paused for a few minutes, then said more quietly, "They're your family, Estella."

She stepped back, looking at the red-haired man as she breathed, "I don't know them at all—they don't know magic—it's a Muggle orphanage. I can't do it; I don't know how."

"You can help them," he insisted. "They're probably a lot like you—they're probably Parselmouths as well. Talk to them now before they get hit with all the influences at Hogwarts." Still, she hesitated, and he said, "Let me tell you something that I'm sure you'll repeat to me in a couple years with a context that I don't want to hear..._sometimes_, it's better to hold your head up and walk into something nobly than to be dragged into it kicking and screaming. You are going with me—what will I do if they won't speak English to me?"

Estella couldn't help giggling at this, though she felt the same shock her parents did at Mr. Weasley's words, sure he was speaking of her becoming a Death Eater in the future. "Well...okay. Are we taking the one to get his school things, or just visiting?"

"That may come later," Arthur said. "We'll see. As it is, I know you have a connection to both of your real parents, and you'll probably need some knowledge from them to be able to see your brothers."

"Oh." Estella agreed, then reached out to take his arm. "You know which orphanage they're at?"

"Well, we can find out, but I was wondering if you knew," he admitted seriously, looking at her.

Mere seconds went by before there was a clear image of a well-kept building in her mind, and Estella tightened her grip on Mr. Weasley's arm. She disapparated.

The moment they appeared, Arthur Weasley turned to her very sternly. "Where did you learn that? You do not have your license!"

"I learned it first year," she said automatically. "It isn't unusual for wizard children to be taught apparition by at least twelve or thirteen years old, Dad." Glancing around, she was immediately aware that she was no longer in the Wizarding World, but had crossed the line of worlds. "Let's go," she said to Mr. Weasley in a subdued voice.

He didn't say anything as they walked up to the building she'd seen in the memory that her mother had sent her. She let go of his arm and open the door cautiously, stepping inside. Both of them were immediately greeted by a woman who gave them a strange look and asked, "Are you looking to adopt?"

Arthur smiled and was going to speak, but Estella stepped forward as her parents told her what to say. "We're here to see Shaul and Mathis Parkington," she said firmly, looking the woman straight in the eyes.

"Oh, did you know their family?" the woman smiled, motioning for the two to follow her.

"I...am their sister," Estella said, catching up with the woman. "My adopted family didn't know I had brothers until a few days ago." _Because I'm an idiot and can't keep a secret to save my life_, she added in her mind.

"Oh dear," said the Muggle. "Well, the brothers are usually out in the courtyard...the older one is quiet, but the younger one is a bit rowdy. This would be the day they make a liar out of me—no, there they are..." She sighed, shaking her head at the two.

There were several children out in the courtyard, not just the two Parkington boys, but they were the only thing Estella noticed when she scanned the area. _Dad_, she breathed, _the older one looks just like you..._

She could hardly breath and definitely couldn't speak as she watched the smaller boy talking to another boy, seeming to be taunting him. It was when she clearly heard the boy say, "Raissson!" and saw a snake slither out of the collar of the boy's shirt that she walked toward them, her face blank as she approached them, though she burned with indignation at the thought of her brother using his Parseltongue to bully someone.

The older boy looked up and said warningly, "Mathisss—"

"Are you terrorising him?" she asked the small boy, who turned and gave her a calculating look.

"Go away," he hissed in Parseltongue.

"I don't think ssso," she hissed back. "Icythan."

Her special bitemate slithered out of her collar, and she faced her brothers squarely. "I am Essstella Parkington, your older sissster," she told them. "I am here with my adopted father, Arthur Weasley. I—I wanted to come and sssee you."

The older one frowned. "You're our sister?"

The second rolled his eyes. "Don't trust her."

"—and our parents are alive," Estella said quietly, looking between them. "Dad speaks Parseltongue just like we do—we get it from him. It's a family legacy."

"We've always been special," the smaller boy said proudly, lifting his jaw defiantly, though he frowned at her. "Are you magical, too?"

Estella nodded, glancing around at the other children. "Is there somewhere private we could go?" she asked them. "We need to talk about things that aren't meant for Muggle—non-wizard—ears."

The older boy agreed, motioning them to follow him, though he stopped when Arthur made to follow them. "Does he have to come with us?"

"He's all right," Estella reassured them earnestly. "I think he's got to be here since we're all underaged and we're telling you about the Wizarding World."

"Okay." Shaul turned and led the way to a hallway lined with doorways, entering the one at the far end of the hall. Once they were all in, he shut the door and turned toward Estella. "Tell us about this magical world."

"There's a world full of wizards and witches," Estella said, her eyes lighting up even though she felt strange having to explain such things to her own brothers. "We use wands, we fly brooms, we makes potions—we do charms and spells, and we even have our own magical creatures. You and I were born for that world, boys."

"Then why are we here?" Mathis demanded. "With no magic? Why are we surrounded by these people?"

Estella's heart began to pound in her chest, Icythan raising his head to stare unblinking at the young boy. "Our world was torn apart by war," she breathed. "Our parents had to flee from their pursuers, and we were all left behind. It wasn't possible for mother and father to look after us if they wanted to remain free and faithful to their master—our parents are on the Dark side. They paid a price to stand for their beliefs. I've met Mother and Father several times and I promise you: they did not abandon us. They did not cast us away because they didn't want us. We are children of war."

Shaul seemed to take this in, though Mathis looked down at his serpent sulkily, stroking it silently. "Aren't there orphanages in the magic world?" Shaul asked finally.

"Let me answer that," Arthur said to Estella before turning to the brothers. "Yes, we do have Wizarding orphanages. But I'm almost certain that the reason you both are here is that Estella was never supposed to have been adopted. When my wife and I were looking for a little girl to adopt, I saw her and asked about her: she was not on the list for adoption, but she was given to us."

"Mother didn't want her other children to be taken from her like I was," Estella murmured. "She was trying to take me from the orphanage when the Weasleys arrived, and she ended up having to give me to them herself—though they didn't know it was her at the time. She and Father brought you here to an out-of-the-way place so that you wouldn't go out to some family that you didn't know, or that would teach you wrong."

"Are we ever going to have parents?" Mathis questioned, looking straight into her eyes with a slight anger that reminded her greatly of their mother.

"Yes," Estella answered, her heart breaking for the two young boys. "They want to see you, to know you as their children—that's difficult when you're on the run. It will all be more simple when you're at school."

"We have a private tutor," Shaul said with a frown.

"Magical school," Estella explained, cringing inwardly as she continued to realise differences between her and her brothers.

_Missstress, _Icythan hissed, _the fair-haired speaker and his non-speaking mate are on their way to take Missstress's nessstmatesss to their nessst. Missstress's sssire sssaysss ssso._

Both boys looked at her, Mathis in surprise, Shaul in concern. "Who's coming to take us away?" Shaul asked immediately, stepping closer to his brother.

"They're my—our cousins," Estella answered them. "From generations ago. The Sage family split off the Parkington family tree and now they are their own Parselmouth family. They have their own bitemates, just as we have ours."

"And they're coming to get us right now without our ever having met them?" Mathis scoffed. "We're going to walk out of here with a new mummy and daddy and have a perfect life?"

A knock came at the door and it opened just after, the same Muggle woman standing there. "There they are," she said pleasantly. "Let me know when you're all ready to leave."

The woman in witch's robes smiled and nodded, closing the door behind the two. She and her husband turned to the others in the room, Estella looking up at the Sages with a familiar smile. "Estella," she greeted the girl. "Boys. I am Melissa Sage, but I usually go by Missy, and this is my husband Jonathan. We're here to bring you home with us until you're both old enough to attend school."

"Because Hogwarts is your liberation," Jonathan said solemnly.

"It's true," Estella agreed. "We're direct descendants of two of the school founders."

"Two?" Arthur said at the same time Mathis asked, "Really?"

"Yes," Estella confirmed. "Salazar Slytherin is the one who gave our family line the gift of Parseltongue. And Lady Hufflepuff was the mother of his first child."

Arthur looked confused, and asked, "What was all that about You-Know-Who being the Heir of Slytherin, then?"

Jonathan and Estella scowled, affronted. "It's a lie," Estella said shortly. "He merely pretended, trying to kill Harry a couple years ago. He's descended from Salazar's child by someone else after Lady Hufflepuff had killed herself. He has the Parseltongue but not the birthright, and I told him so to his face my first year, but he tortured me." She shook her head at the memory, seeing her brothers' strange expressions.

"Our family is nothing but drama, isn't it?" Mathis sighed.

"Well, it does get boring here," Shaul chuckled finally, looking up at the Sage couple.

"You'll never be bored at our house," Missy laughed. "We have three children about your age and they are excited to meet you two now that they've learned they have more cousins."

Mathis hung back, but Shaul stepped forward, ready to go, but Arthur spoke. "Do you have a way to communicate with them, Estella?"

_You can give Jonathan two or three of the bitemates_, Reginald told her. _Do not give them to the boys. We know nothing about the serpent or snake that Mathis has._

Estella turned to her cousin in Parseltongue. "Will you take two or three of our bitemates for communication and training?" she asked him.

Jonathan agreed with a nod, and held out his hand to her, which she took. "Nisi," she commanded. "Nisan, Tishri, you will go with the _tsez_."

"I'm honoured," Jonathan said with a grin. "We will be in touch, Estella."

"Where are your things, boys?" Missy asked the Parkington brothers. Shaul pointed them out to her, and she packed them almost instantly, stowing her wand quickly, but not before she'd seen Mathis' intrigued expression. That may have been the only reason Mathis silently followed his brother out of the room after the woman. Jonathan followed the boys, leaving Estella and Arthur to walk together.

"Did you know they were coming?" Arthur asked her as they finally left the room. "To take your brothers with them?"

"No," Estella answered, sniffing and brushing the back of her hand across her eyes. "I just want them to be happy, Dad."

Arthur wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into his side, numb from the taxing emotions and trying to keep from being annoyed with her brothers. "Do you trust Jonathan and Melissa Sage?" he asked her.

Estella nodded slightly. "They've cared for me before when I've had problems with bonding to the bitemates," she answered. "They're very kind."

"Then I'm sure they'll be fine," he said reassuringly.

She didn't reply as they walked out the door to the orphanage, the Sages standing there with the Parkington brothers as Missy asked, "Do you want to say goodbye to your sister?"

The boys frowned at each other, then glanced back at her. "We don't know her, or any of you," Shaul answered for them as Mathis seemed to return to his moody glare. "We'll see her around, though, I'm sure."

Estella could not speak as she watched the two adults disapparate with her brothers, though the moment they were gone, she breathed. "Take me back. Please. I want to be alone."

Arthur agreed, taking her arm and disapparating. The moment he'd opened the front door to Grimmauld, she hurried into the house and rushed up the stairs to her room, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. She stopped short when she threw open the door and found Ron and Hermione in her room, their heads together, talking about Merlin-knew-what sort of unimportant things.

With a sound of anger, she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her and running up the rest of the stairs, wanting to find a place to hide. She didn't question it when she found a door that seemed to be untouched by anyone so far and reached out to open it. Estella drew a sharp breath when she felt a small hex rush through her, though she drew her wand and tried to figure out what the ward on the room was.

To her surprise, the ward seemed to have lifted when she tried to figure out what it was, and the door swung open before her. Estella stepped into the room, allowing the door to close behind her and immediately putting up Parseltongue wards before she just sat down in the middle of the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Mistress," Icythan said, tasting her neck, "do not worry."

"It's not okay," Estella breathed, laying her head down on her knees. "They're not going to be okay. I know the look in Mathis' eyes; he isn't going to do well at their house—he's going to cause problems."

"Estella," her mother said, but the girl immediately began to cry softly.

"It isn't fair to them," she sniffed angrily. "They shouldn't have had to be raised like that! They should not be ignorant of _who they are_!"

"We know, Stel; it isn't right," Reginald murmured. "Nothing has gone the way it was supposed to. It's the price we've had to pay."

"They—we've had to pay _your_ price!" Estella cried out at the injustice. "None of this was our fault." She could sense her mother's anger, but she didn't care, shaking as she rocked back and forth. "I'm not supposed to have a second family. No one was supposed to know about me, or my brothers. No one was supposed to love us, or to care about us, or to raise us to know our true selves! We were abandoned. Where was everyone before when they had the opportunity to take us in? Where were all of our cousins that say that it's such a tragedy I was raised by Weasleys when they could have raised me themselves? Why do we have to suffer when none of this was our choice? And why do we get dragged into doing things we don't want to do just because of our families?"

She burst into real tears, curling up on the floor. Her parents said nothing, though she could still feel her mother's fury and knew without a doubt that her father was keeping Meretta from saying anything. It was nearly a half hour before she finally sat up and dashed away her tears, realising both her parents had gone from her mind. Her new feeling of completely loneliness threatened to overtake her again, but she summoned parchment and paper and began to write:

_Dear Percy,_

_ I'm scared…_

She was nearly finished writing the letter to him when she jumped in shock at a sudden sound and whirled around to see that the house elf, Kreacher had apparated into the room. "Oh," she said, looking down at her parchment.

"Miss Parkington is in Master Regulus' old room," Kreacher said, seemingly to himself. "What is she doing here? Nothing good, Kreacher thinks. Still, Master says she is not a threat."

"Oh," Estella breathed. "Am I not supposed to be in here? I—I'll leave." She moved to get up, but the elf shook his head, his large ears flopping about.

"Kreacher trusts no one," he said in an ominous voice. "Best not to, when there are blood-traitors and Mudbloods about."

Estella nodded, looking down at her nearly finished letter and wondering what category Percy fit into. Would he agree with more pureblood ideals, or would he have believed in acceptance? She wasn't completely sure of the answer, but she was sure it would be a very logical one. She jumped in shock once again, feeling something settle around her shoulders.

"A blanket," the elf muttered, stepping back from her. "Master's room is the coldest. Strange, though, for being the highest room as well…."

"Thank you," Estella said gratefully, wrapping the blanket more securely around herself. "Why are you here right now?"

"Master's room is always spotless," Kreacher answered, looking straight at her and seeming greatly offended. "Kreacher checks it every day."

"Oh," Estella said with a sigh.

"Miss Parkington has troubles," Kreacher stated, shuffling closer to her. "Her family, yes?"

Estella looked up at him in surprise, then nodded without breaking eye contact. "I just made Mother really angry, and I think my little brothers hate me," she said, resting her chin on her fists. "I'm alone, Kreacher."

"Mistress is never alone!" her bitemates hissed, and Kreacher's eyes widened.

"Miss Parkington has serpents!" he said excitedly. "Strong magic...Kreacher felt it on Miss Parkington but did not know what it was."

"Yes," Estella smiled weakly, stroking Icythan's scales as he tasted her neck comfortingly.

"Why is your family angry?" Kreacher questioned her.

"I said some terrible things to my mother," Estella sighed, rubbing her hand over her face. "And..." her voice became very quiet "my brothers were raised by Muggles and they don't understand our ways, so I don't know what to say to them. I just sent them home with people they didn't even know, and I know it's not going to work out very well."

"Nasty, filthy Muggles," Kreacher spat. "They should not trouble Miss Parkington's brothers since they are wizards, _purebloods_."

"My real parents can't take care of them while they're on the run from the Ministry," Estella said wearily. "But they should have been sent to a Wizarding family, not a Muggle orphanage."

"Perhaps Miss Parkington is correct," Kreacher muttered. "Or perhaps having them sent to a family that would teach them all the wrong things was the last thing Mr and Mrs Parkington wanted for their sons, hmm? After all, that is what the blood-traitors did to their first child."

Estella winced. "True," she admitted. "What do I do? I shouldn't have talked to my parents the way I did."

Kreacher seemed amused at this. "It is the way children respond," he told her. "Kreacher has seen many of our great House's children say angry things to their mother, or their father. It would be unnatural not to have these feelings, Miss Parkington, and more unnatural to apologise for them."

"But I love my family," Estella said, ducking her head so she didn't have to look at the expression on Kreacher's old face.

"Kreacher doesn't think many parents and children do love each other," the elf said after a few moments. "That is indeed rare. But if that is true, then Miss Parkington's parents may accept her apologies and forgive her hasty words."

Estella couldn't help but laugh at this. "That sounds very strange for some reason, coming from you."

The elf gave her a mysterious smirk. "Not all Blacks have no love," he said. "Now. Kreacher has heard that Miss Parkington is trapped here by a ward, yes? Well, Kreacher belongs to the most ancient and noble House of Black and can escape any ward placed over this house. Miss Parkington must only ask, and Kreacher will assist."

She stared at him open-mouthed, and his smirk widened, the elf disapparating from the room. Without a word, she picked up her letter to Percy and added, "I may be able to come see you, but I don't know how soon. Love, your sister, Estella."

"Thanks," she whispered out loud, then got to her feet, went to the mirror and drew her wand to take away her tearstains and fix her face. She looked down at her wand in surprise, feeling it grow warm and vibrate, but she ignored this for the time being. It was time that she go downstairs and prepare for the arrival of Harry Potter.


	6. Potter's Arrival at Grimmauld

**I know this is a really long chapter, but it is one very long moving scene, so I'm leaving it all together. I should be sleeping because I have to be at the airport in five hours, but yeah, I'm not.**

**Trixie Black Lestrange**

* * *

She made her way down a couple of flights of stairs, hearing someone coming up the stairs and quickly stepping back into the shadows. Ron and Hermione walked past her up toward his room, talking animatedly about having Harry back with them. Estella drew a deep breath, then stepped forward, hurrying to the first floor and into the drawing room to wait so that she would hear anyone that arrived.

Drifting straight toward the tapestry as she always did when in the drawing room, she gently traced the lines with a finger, wondering what it would have been like to live as a Black a few generations ago. She smiled as she saw Ramea Black on the tree, tracing the silver line from her grandmother's name to Meretta Parkinson. "What do you know?" she laughed quietly. "We are on the Black family tapestry."

She went on to find others she knew, shocked as she saw Cassiopeia Black had been married to Raymond Sage. The tapestry did not include all the generations after the couple, but Estella was almost certain that Raymond Sage had to have been one of Megan's and Corin's ancestors. Estella perused the tapestry eagerly, grinning as she found that Rohan and Karntaan were indeed present on the tapestry now, but Meris was not, of course.

It was only as Estella's finger skipped Andromeda Black and went to Narcissa's family that her heart skipped a beat. The name Aislinn Malfoy clearly stood out on the tapestry, the picture of the small girl suddenly appearing, grinning at her happily. "Islie?" Estella whispered in shock, a small rush of magic reminding her that she still was not allowed to speak of the girl to anyone. "But everyone will find out…."

She felt a shiver in the wards of the house and quickly turned from the tapestry as she realised a new magic had been added to what she assumed were the Order wards on the place. Quickly, she left the room and went to the landing to watch them enter the house. Estella was surprised at how many people entered the house with the small little form of Harry Potter.

"Harry!" came a whisper from down the hall, and Estella nearly jumped at the sound of Molly Weasley's voice. "Harry, dear, how are you? We've been waiting to see you all summer. Ron and Hermione are very excited."

Estella watched Mrs Weasley wrap Harry in a hug, the woman taking his trunk from the others. "I'm glad you've arrived safely," she said. "Go on, all of you, the meeting's about to start. I'll be right in."

Estella raised her hand experimentally, hiding a smirk as one of the lamps lit in the hall, everyone looking up toward her. Harry stopped in his tracks. "What is _she_ doing here?" he asked Mrs Weasley in concern.

Molly smiled. "Well, Harry—"

"Estella Parkington and Ginny Weasley are the same person," Estella said, walking down the stairs toward him. "I'm an adopted Weasley."

"But—" Harry stared at her. "That can't be! You don't look anything alike!"

"It's true," said a woman's voice, Dora stepping forward and tossing her hood back. "She's an interesting one."

"Dora," Estella said, shaking her head at the sight of her bright pink hair. "Always so cheerful." She turned back to Harry. "Ron and Hermione are waiting for you in the room where you'll be staying, and I'm sure Fred and George will be joining you soon. They're all thrilled to see you again."

Harry nodded, frowning at her slightly. He glanced around at the others and seemed to decide she was all right since they thought it was all right. "All right," he said.

Estella nodded, reaching out for Harry's trunk, though Dora merely shrank it, then held it out to her with a smirk on her face. "Nymphie, go on to your meeting," Estella sighed, taking the tiny trunk from her. "Come on, Harry. Time to reunite you with your friends."

Harry nodded to the others, then began to follow her up the stairs. "What is this place?" he asked in shock, staring around at the house-elf heads adorning the wall.

"It belongs to Sirius' old family," Estella answered. "Sirius and his little brother Regulus grew up here, but Sirius gave it to the Order for their headquarters now that the old generation is all dead."

"So Sirius lives here?" Harry asked, skipping a step to keep up with her.

"Yup," Estella answered. "In his childhood dungeon, top floor, left door. He hates this place: you'll see. There's a portrait of his mum in the Entrance hall, the one covered by curtains. She likes to scream at the Order members and whoever else and call them names. Just wait until you hear what she says to Sirius. It's shocking, hearing things like that come from a mother. But it is House of Black, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised."

Harry nodded as they finally arrived on the second landing and Estella led the way to his and Ron's room. "We've been cleaning up this place all summer so far to make it liveable, because no one's been here for at least ten years and the house elf Kreacher only cleans the portraits and Regulus' old room."

"There's an elf here?" Harry said.

"Yeah, he belongs to the 'Most ancient and noble House of Black,'" Estella recited. "Sort of comes with the house, you know. Everyone else thinks he's a bit crazy, but that's just because they don't understand him. He really is all right, even though he says about as many awful things about the Order and Sirius as that portrait of Walburga does."

Estella stopped at a door, both she and Harry listening to hear Ron and Hermione talking together. "Here we are," she said, reaching out and opening the door. "Go," she whispered to him.

The moment Harry stepped into the room, Hermione leapt up off the bed and charged at him, giving him such a fierce hug she nearly knocked him over. "Harry!" she said happily. "I'm so glad you're finally here! It's been ages!"

"It's been six weeks, Hermione," Ron sighed. "Come here, Harry." Ron also gave his friend a hearty welcome, and Estella slipped into the room, closing the door and setting the trunk down before enlarging it again.

"No magic out of Hogwarts," Hermione scolded her briskly. "That's what—"

"This is a Wizarding household," Estella interrupted firmly. "As many adults as come and go, there's no way a single underaged witch or wizard's magic can be pinpointed, especially with the wards on this place. We can't be caught. Other underaged wizards do magic all the time: the Ministry's just picking on Harry for some reason. We know he wouldn't do magic in front of those Muggles just to show off."

Hermione turned to Harry very seriously. "When we heard about the dementor attack—and this hearing—they can't expel you! There's an exception in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations."

The brown-haired witch paused, waiting for Harry to answer, but Hedwig soared down from the wardrobe to land on Harry's shoulder, and Harry grinned slightly. "Hedwig!"

"She attacked us with your last letters," Ron said. "We couldn't get her to calm down, and Ginny had to—"

"My name is Estella," the dark-haired girl said sharply, but Ron ignored her.

"—catch Hedwig and cage her," Ron finished without looking at Estella. "She wouldn't stop biting me and Hermione, and even Sirius."

"I wanted answers," Harry said, frowning and looking at the three of them. "Do you know who sent me that snake Patronus?"

Hermione and Ron looked right at Estella, and she shrugged at the three. "Yeah, I did it," she said. "All of us and Sirius agreed that we had to tell you some things, and I just sent you the Patronus so that you would know we hadn't forgotten and that we couldn't talk about anything. Hermione was worried that you'd do something stupid if you had to go without news..."

"How can you do a Patronus?" Harry asked her. "You honestly don't seem the type to have learned a Light spell like that."

"I asked Lupin to teach me the same year he taught you," Estella replied. "I want to be able to protect myself and my friends if I have the need. It's also a good messenger and a source of light, so it's a useful spell to know."

"Oh," Harry nodded, then turned to Ron and Hermione. "So why does Dumbledore think it's such a great idea to not tell me anything?"

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other as Harry waited and looked down at Hedwig. "He said Owls could be intercepted, and that it was safest to wait until you were with us," Hermione said quickly. "He's been really busy, we've barely seen him this summer."

Estella smirked. "Except for the one time he was infuriated about something and Hermione went and hid in our room."

"Oh Harry, Dumbledore was furious that Mundungus had left before the end of his shift," Hermione breathed. "It really was scary. You know, Dumbledore thought you were safest with the Muggles, but he still had people watching just in case—"

Harry looked outraged, then turned and walked away from them, beginning to pace the floor between his two friends and Estella. "He could have kept me informed! I know he's got a Patronus as well, he's got other methods of communication—he's Albus Dumbledore! If he'd wanted to, he could have got information to me."

"Really, Harry," Ron said, but Estella interrupted.

"He could have," she agreed. "And I don't know why, but he made them all promise, even Sirius."

"But you sent that Patronus," Harry said, stopping mid-pace. "You could have told me things."

"I didn't know what you wanted to hear," Estella answered. "And I wasn't sure what I could have told you because there were people in the room when I cast that Patronus. They would have told Dumbledore, or at least Molly."

All three sort of frowned at the use of Mrs Weasley's first name. "Harry, I sent that Patronus in Parseltongue, but that's not completely infallible," Estella sighed. "My real father is a Parselmouth: I get it from him. He's a Death Eater, and so's my mother. There are all kinds of ways that secrets can be leaked, Harry. And while I too question Dumbledore's decision, he has his reasons to keep his Light angels in the dark."

"So I can't be trusted?" Harry raised an eyebrow, and Estella couldn't help but see a Slytherin side of the boy. "Or that I can't take care of myself—"

"No—" Hermione began, but Harry continued.

"So why do I have to stay with the Dursleys while you all get to stay here for the summer and join in what's happening?" Harry said angrily. "Why do you get to know everything that's going on—"

"We're not!" Ron answered quickly. "Mum says we're too young, she won't let any of us attend the meetings, not even Fred and George."

"You've still been here, together," Harry snapped at him and Hermione. "I've had to stay at the Dursleys' for a month and I've handled MUCH more than either of you ever have and Dumbledore knows it!"

All of Harry's angry thoughts and feelings that he'd seemed to have been keeping in all summer spilled out as he shouted at Ron and Hermione that he'd saved the Philosopher's Stone, destroyed Tom Riddle, saved them from the Dementors—Estella couldn't help cringing inwardly at the rage little Harry Potter was expressing.

"WHO SAW _HIM_ COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"

Ron was stunned at this display and was at a loss for anything to say, but Hermione, tears welling in her eyes, reached out to Harry entreatingly. "Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did—"

Hedwig had retreated from Harry, and Pigwidgeon was flying haphazardly around everyone's heads as Harry angrily yelled answers to anything Hermione said. Harry finally stopped in the middle of the floor and turned to them all. "So, what exactly is the Order of the Phoenix?"

"It's a secret society that Dumbledore started," Hermione said quickly. "It's the ones that fought against You-Know-Who last time."

"Who's in it?" Harry demanded of them.

"Well, quite a few people," Hermione began, but Estella rolled her eyes.

"Bill, Charlie, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Sirius, Remus, Nymphadora, Moody, McGonagall, Snape, Kingsley, Mundungus, and lots of others," Estella told Harry. "You're probably going to meet a few more of them tonight: they like to stay for dinner after their meetings."

Harry nodded shortly, then said, "_Well_?"

"Well...what?" Ron said in confusion.

"_Voldemort_!"

The bitemates hissed in anger, and Estella caught a slight flash of anger, realising to her great annoyance that her mother had been listening in the whole time. She reinforced her Occlumency Shields, barely feeling a difference at all.

"What's he doing, what's happening? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?"

"Well, we don't know much," Hermione said carefully, "but we've heard some things using the Extendable Ears Fred and George made."

Harry looked confused, and Ron said, "Extendable Ears. We had to stop using them because Mum found out and Fred and George had to hide them all to keeping Mum from binning them. But we've heard some things…."

"We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters," Hermione said, Estella smirking as she thought of Lucius Malfoy. "And others are working on recruiting more people to the Order…."

"Some of them are standing guard over something," Ron nodded. "They're always talking about guard duty."

"Couldn't have been me," Harry said sarcastically, and Ron's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah!"

Harry scoffed at him and walked around the room again. "So what have you been doing if you're not allowed in meetings? Estella said you'd been fixing this place up?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded eagerly. "We've been decontaminating this place because no one's lived here for ages and all the magical pests you can imagine have been breeding here. We've done the kitchen and all the bedrooms, and I think Mrs Weasley plans to do the drawing room tomo—"

Hermione screamed as with two loud cracks, Fred and George had apparated into the middle of the room. "Stop doing that!" she breathed, her hand on her chest.

It was as Estella watched the twins telling Harry he shouldn't bottle up his anger like that she realised that Ron had grown a few inches already that summer and was taller than his older twin brothers now.

"You're interfering with reception," Fred said to Harry, indicating the flesh-coloured string he was holding. "We're trying to hear what's happening downstairs."

"You've got to be careful," Ron said insistently. "If Mum sees one of them again…."

"It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having," Fred replied.

"But don't they put charms on the door now because of you?" Estella asked Fred with a raised eyebrow. "Tonks told me someone suggested an Imperturbable Charm and told me to throw things at the door and see if it makes contact to see if it's been charmed."

George shrugged. "Got anything to throw at it?" he asked her.

"You have dungbombs, don't you?" she answered with a smirk. "Do that. It would serve them right if it stuck."

"Right," George said, reaching into his pocket and presenting Estella with a dungbomb. "Will you do the honours, Miss Parkington?"

"Of course," she smirked, taking it from him and leaving the room, hurrying downstairs to the top of the first flight. She unwrapped it, took careful aim, and let if fly, arcing across the hallway to bounce away from the kitchen door as if swatted away. "It's a no go," she said.

George sighed. "Shame. I really wanted to hear the top secret report Snape's supposed to give tonight."

Estella perked up, and so did Harry. "Snape?"

"Yeah," Fred said. "Git."

"He's on our side now," Hermione said reproachfully.

"At what cost?" Estella frowned. "And is he really on our side? I've seen him with other Death Eaters: it's very disconcerting. Even Bill doesn't like him."

"Is Bill here?" Harry asked. "I thought he was in Egypt."

"Well, he came here for a desk job so he could work for the Order," Fred smirked. "He says he misses the tombs, but…."

"He's seeing Fleur Delacour," Estella groaned, sinking down onto one of the beds and placing her head in her hands. "I've heard him talk about her, and it's just awful. Supposedly he's just trying to help her with her English, but it's a lie. They're practically dating."

"Charlie's in the Order too," George added. "He's still in Romania, though. He's supposed to be recruiting foreign wizards to the cause."

"Can't Percy do that?" Harry asked.

Everyone stopped and exchanged dark looks, Estella shocked that Ron hadn't even told Harry what had happened with Percy. "Whatever you do, don't talk about Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told Harry tensely.

"Why not?"

"Because every time Percy's name is mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying," Fred huffed.

"It's been really bad," Estella sighed.

"I think we're rid of him," said George with an ugly look on his face.

"What happened?" Harry asked, intrigued.

Fred shook his head, recalling it. "Percy and Dad had a really bad argument; I've never seen Dad argue with anyone like that…."

"The first week back after school ended," Estella said, "Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"No," Harry said in disbelief.

"Yeah, right after he'd been in trouble because of Crouch and all that," George nodded. "Promoted him...right into Fudge's office. Percy was even more pleased than usual with himself, if you can imagine that."

"Dad wasn't," Ron sighed. "He says Fudge has been storming around the Ministry checking that no one contacts Dumbledore. They think Dumbledore's just trying to cause trouble, saying You-Know-Who is back."

Estella smirked. "Of course, Dad's a suspect because most people know he's friendly with Dumbledore and Fudge has always thought he's weird because of his Muggle obsession. But the thing is: Dad thinks Percy was only offered the promotion in order for Fudge to use him as a personal spy to keep an eye on the Weasley clan, and Dumbledore."

Harry gave a soft whistle. "Bet Percy loved that."

"He said a lot of terrible things," George scowled. "Complained about having to struggle against Dad's 'lousy reputation' and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always had lesser means."

"_What_?" Harry said as Estella hissed angrily in spite of understanding why Percy had done what he did.

"That's not all," Ron continued. "It got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to associate with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was headed for trouble and was going to take all his followers with him. He said he—Percy—knew where his loyalty lay—with the Ministry, of course. He said if Mum and Dad were going to be traitors that he didn't want anything to so with them or us and wanted everyone to know that he didn't belong to our family anymore. He packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

Estella tuned out most of the rest of what the others were saying, wanting very much to go and see Percy now that they were talking about him. Maybe in the evening after Harry's hearing, she decided. She wanted to talk to him about her little brothers now that she'd finally seen them. Estella didn't think any of her other brothers would understand how she felt, and Charlie was too far away.

The others were now informing Harry about how the _Daily Prophet_ was making a joke out of him and how they were making him out to be some sort of glory-chasing attention-seeker. Harry very indignantly denied these accusations, saying, "But I'm like this because Voldemort _murdered_ my family but couldn't kill me! Don't you think I'd rather it'd never—"

"We _know_, Harry," Estella said earnestly, honestly feeling bad for him.

Moments later, they all heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and Fred quickly hid the Extendable Ears, he and George disapparating from the room. Sure enough, the door opened and Molly stood in the doorway. "Meeting's over," she announced. "You can all come down and have dinner now; everyone's dying to meet you, Harry. And who left that Dungbomb outside the kitchen door?"

"Crookshanks," Estella said casually. "He loves playing with them."

"Oh," said Molly. "Well, come on, all of you, and don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy. Go wash up before dinner."

"I'm just _Estella_," she huffed at the woman, turning and flouncing out of the room. She scowled at the thought that it was possible that others would never stop calling her Ginny. She washed her hands quickly before hurrying out onto the landing and finding Harry, Ron, and Hermione listening to the dispersing Order members below.

The trio glanced at her, then moved toward the stairs, Estella following them. They met Mrs Weasley at the bottom of the stairs, the red-haired woman whispering, "We're eating down in the kitchen, Harry. Just through that door there—"

CRASH!

"Tonks!" Molly cried, turning around in exasperation.

"I'm sorry!" Nymphadora cried, sprawled out on the floor, her wand clutched in her hand. "It's that stupid umbrella stand: that's the second time I've tripped—"

Estella rushed past them all and went to Dora, offering her a hand as the curtains sprang open on Walburga's portrait and the witch started shrieking. Dora took her hand and got to her feet, both of them turning to see Molly and Lupin unable to shut the moth-eaten curtains over the portrait of Walburga.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers—"

Tonks bristled at this, moving the umbrella stand out of the way with her wand, but made no sound except to apologise to the others for waking all the other portraits that were now shouting with Walburga.

Molly gave up trying to close the curtains and went up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits as the kitchen door flew open and Sirius came barrelling down the hall, his face lit with fury. "Shut up, you horrible old hag!" he yelled.

Estella could not help smirking at the striking similarities between the two, mother and son. Walburga was now screaming offensive things at Sirius, and Harry glanced at Estella as if to say, _Well, you did say she said nasty things_.

"I said shut UP!" Sirius roared, pointing his wand at the curtains, which then closed with a snap. In the silence that fell, he turned to face Harry, sweeping his long, black hair out of his face. "Hello, Harry," he said. "I see you've met my mother."

Harry nodded wordlessly, and Sirius sighed. "We've been trying to get her down for a month, but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the canvas. Let's get downstairs before they all wake up again."

Tonks draped her left arm around Estella's shoulders. "Come along, Parkington," she said briskly.

Estella rolled her eyes at this, but grinned and walked with the now black-haired witch anyway. "Anything interesting happen during the meeting?" she asked Nymphadora.

The witch scoffed at her. "Not talking about that, girl," she said firmly.

Estella merely giggled, though fell silent at the sound of Sirius telling Harry, "This was my parents' house, but I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now."

"It is not," Estella said indignantly, and Dora raised an eyebrow, opening the kitchen door.

"What is not?" she asked. "After you, Parkington."

Estella leaned in close to Nymphadora and whispered, "Sirius is an idiot." She then walked through the door and led the way down the stairs into the kitchen.

Tonks immediately followed her, sitting down at the table next to her and saying, "Well, I know you two don't like each other, but what's wrong with him?"

Estella shook her head. So, she thought to herself, Sirius didn't tell any of them that Regulus is alive. What's he playing at?

Harry entered the room, and Mr Weasley and Bill greeted him cheerfully, though Harry went to sit beside Sirius. Estella raised an eyebrow at Tonks and tilted her head toward Sirius, the two listening as Sirius said, "The Ministry's still after me, and Voldemort" Estella's bitemates hissed wordlessly and Harry gave her a strange look "will know all about my being an Animagus because Wormtail will have told him. There's not much I can do for the Order, or so _Dumbledore_ feels…."

"He's not happy at the moment because he wanted to be part of the Advanced Guard who went to get Harry," Nymphadora sighed. "Sometimes I do worry about him…."

"Sirius..." Estella turned and looked at the one that had spoke, making a face when she realised that the resident tramp of the Order of the Phoenix had stayed to dinner. "This solid silver, mate?" he asked, indicating an empty goblet.

"Yes," Sirius answered sourly, glaring at it. "Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though," muttered Mundungus almost to himself, picking up the goblet.

Before Estella even thought it through, she'd concentrated on the goblet very carefully. The ragged man dropped it with a yelp and it rolled off the table and onto the floor. "It burned me!" he said in shock, clutching his hand.

A smirk spread across Estella's face as everyone looked at Mundungus, Sirius seeming not to care a bit. Remus reached down and picked it up, looking the goblet over, then set it back on the table. "Nothing seems to be amiss with it," Remus said, returning to help Molly set the table.

Estella focused on Mundungus, steeling herself as she pinpointed a thought straight into his mind: _Do not dare to defile the property of the most ancient and noble House of Black_.

Mundungus looked up in shock, staring around in slight fright, then saying, "It's—this place is haunted." He got to his feet and rushed out of the room, leaving the house, much to the relief of many of the others in the room.

"Well," Tonks said to Estella. "I just have to ask. Did you do that to him?"

Sirius stopped talking and looked at Estella. "For all we know, he was hallucinating," Sirius said, but seemed to change his mind when Estella giggled in amusement. "You need to behave, girl."

"Yeah, that's what Mum and Dad tell me," Estella answered. "Dung was planning to off some of that silver, that's why he asked you about it. I just...gave him a little warning, that's all."

Molly stopped what she was doing and turned to stare at Estella. "You used to do that all the time...everything Ron used to touch used to burn him. Estella, absolutely _NO_ magic out of Hogwarts!"

Estella opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, Molly noticed Fred and George and yelled, "NO, JUST CARRY THEM!"

Sirius, Harry, Estella, and Tonks dived away from the table the moment they spotted things flying toward the table, and Estella turned, rolling onto one knee and raising her hands to stop everything in motion. She lowered everything onto the table carefully, then got to her feet quietly.

Molly was shouting at the twins in fury, oblivious to what Estella had done. Arthur glanced at the twins and said, "Your mother's right, boys, you're supposed to be responsible now that you're of age."

"None of your brothers were like this!" Molly snapped at the twins. "Bill didn't Apparate from room to room! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy—"

She stopped mid-sentence, glancing at Arthur quickly, but Bill said, "Let's eat," and Lupin began to serve the stew.

Estella breathed a sigh of relief as they all sat down to eat together. Tonks motioned Hermione over, and sat down as Ron and the twins joined Sirius and Harry near the middle of the table.

They had barely begun eating when her bitemates began to hiss, "_Hisssusss!_ _Hisssusss_!" and Estella sighed. "Bitematesss, I can't in front of all of them."

"Missstress did magic already," Zisi pointed out. "Missstress can provide the _hisssusss_." And all the bitemates agreed with him.

"Dora," Estella murmured, "would you transfigure food for the bitemates?"

Nymphadora nearly choked, both she and Hermione looking at Estella. "I always forget you have serpents until you mention them," she said. "How many do you have right now?"

"Eleven," Estella answered. "The rest are elsewhere."

"And you want me to do what?" Dora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Transfigure a chunk of meat into a live rodent," Estella said simply. "One for each."

Bill leaned in to look at her from down the table. "Serpents hungry, Stel?" he called. "Put them on the floor. Food coming right up." He raised his wand, transfigured and levitated the rats to the floor.

There was a lot of loud hissing as the bitemates left Estella's body and slithered off after the rats. Most everyone lifted their feet from the floor, and Molly shrieked, "Not in the kitchen, Estella!"

"Where else, then?" Estella answered. "The hallway? The drawing room? My room? They're not clean eaters, you know...they're hunters."

Harry turned to look at them for a moment, then looked at Estella. "That one's really beautiful," he said, sounding impressed.

"That's Odessa," Estella said proudly. "She's the most beautiful—and the most deadly. Her venom is the strongest."

"They've really grown since you got them from the tombs, haven't they?" Bill said in amazement. "That's Icythan, isn't it?" He pointed, and Estella nodded as the serpent looked up at them, a rat clutched in his fangs.

"What are the others' names?" Hermione asked curiously, though she diverted her gaze from the feeding serpents.

"Ananke, Sadura, Sebring, Basari, Behinga, Nephisi, Zisi, Kaphasa, and Tasarek," Estella recited, pointing them out. "There are six others, but Father and one of the Sages have them."

"One of the Sages?" Tonks said suspiciously. "Why would one of them have your bitemates?"

"They have my little brothers," Estella sighed, looking straight at Dora. "I gave him three of the bitemates to use in training my brothers and communicating with me about them."

Dora nodded sympathetically. "How long have your brothers been there?" she asked.

Arthur looked over at Dora and Estella. "They went there today, just before the Advanced Guard left to get Harry," he said. "I had taken Estella to see her brothers, and Jonathan Sage and his wife showed up while we were there."

"Oh, it's little brother Sage," Tonks mused. "Why him and not Anthony?"

"I don't like Anthony," Estella frowned as most everyone turned back to their own conversations. "He's too rough, too mean. I think having a whole family will be nicer for the boys, and Jonathan and Missy have three kids already. And they're all nice and kind, as far as I've talked with them."

She took a dish, placed it on the ground over by the bitemates, and proceeded to pour milk into it. "I hope they're okay," she said, shaking her head. "I don't think the younger boy is going to do very well, but I hope he proves me wrong."

Estella returned to the table and continued to eat, not talking as she was now thinking of Shaul and Mathis again, wondering how they were doing at the Sage house. When she was finished eating, she went and curled up on the floor, letting her bitemates returned to her when they were finished eating. She stroked them absentmindedly, and they hissed happily, slithering over her once again.

She only looked up at the others when she heard Sirius say, "You know, Harry, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

A shudder went around the room, and Estella sat up, fully attentive as her bitemates remained visible, coiled around her arms, waist, and neck. Sirius continued, "He's got the right to know what's been happening—"

This infuriated Fred and George who said, "Why does Harry get answers when we've been inquiring all summer about what's happening and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!"

"_You're too young; you're not in the Order_," Estella mocked in a high-pitched voice that sound like both Molly and Walburga. "They're of age. Harry's not even that."

"It's not my fault your parents made that decision," Sirius told the twins calmly. "But Harry—"

"It's not up to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Molly said shrilly. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, have you?"

"Which part?" Sirius asked, a dangerous light of excitement in his eyes as he seemed to brace himself for a fight.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," Molly snapped.

Estella watched the two argue it out, her bitemates hissing again when Sirius mentioned Harry having seen Voldemort come back. She felt that Sirius was basically correct: Harry wasn't a child and needed to know certain things, but he wasn't an adult either. Estella tilted her head slightly, coming to the conclusion that because the entire war was because of Harry, he would have to shoulder the burden of an adult anyway. She couldn't help thinking that Molly seemed to care a great deal more about Harry than she did about pretty much anyone else except her own sons.

One of the wine glasses on the table exploded, and Estella jumped in surprise. Molly and Sirius barely noticed, though Arthur and Bill both looked at her, and Estella sat back down and made herself smaller, hissing her bitemates into her robes.

It was when Molly asked Arthur for his support that he finally said, "Harry will have to be filled in to a certain extent now that he's staying here, Molly. Dumbledore knows the position has changed."

Molly went to protest again, but Lupin said, "Personally, I think it's better that Harry gets the general picture of things from us rather than a jumbled version from the others. The truth, rather than distortions of it."

"Well," Mrs Weasley said, looking around the table and receiving no agreement whatsoever, "I'll just say that Dumbledore has to have his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who's got Harry's best interests at heart—"

"He's not your son," Sirius said coldly.

"He's as good as," Molly said fiercely.

"Why do you care so much about him when he's not even your son?" Estella said angrily, unable to hold the words back. "I'm supposed to be your daughter and you don't care about me at all! Why does he matter so much? Especially to get answers when Fred and George don't even get them? This is some shit!"

Molly whirled on her. "Go to your room this instant, Estella. This is not about you. Leave!"

Another glass exploded on the table, and Arthur looked over at her, then got to his feet and came over to her, holding out his hand. "Come on," he said.

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said when Lupin asked him what he thought about it all.

"Fine," Molly said, her voice cracking. "Ron—Hermione—Fred—George—I want you all out of this kitchen, now."

Estella looked back as she and Arthur reached the stairs, the twins yelling that they were of age and Ron complaining that Harry could know and he couldn't. Molly stood up to yell at them, and Arthur sighed, turning back to them. "Molly, you can't stop Fred and George," he said tiredly. "They _are_ of age."

Molly stared at him. "They're still at school!"

"But they're legally adults," Arthur said in the same voice as Estella took a few steps up the stairs.

"Fine, Fred and George can stay," she said, seeming to be nearly at the breaking point. "But Ron—"

"Harry'll tell us everything anyway," Ron said sharply, and Harry agreed, Ron and Hermione grinning at him.

"Fine!" Molly shouted, then turned to look at her husband and Estella.

"Don't mind us," Arthur said, then turned and followed the girl up the stairs.

"Yeah," Estella said mockingly, "I'm a _liability_." Another glass shattered on the table, and Sirius began to make some comment, but fell silent strangely.

They were in the hall, and Estella could barely see for the strong emotions raging through her, her magic crackling even though she was trying to keep it silent. It wanted to rage, to curse someone, but she would not hurt Mr Weasley.

They reached the first landing, and Arthur said quietly, "No matter what anyone says, Stel, I will always love you and care about you."

"She hates me," Estella breathed, shaking her head as this idea that she'd always known stabbed her straight to the heart. She walked faster toward her room as she said, "If she hates me so much, she should have sent me back to the orphanage. She should have left me there instead of _mistreating_ me all these years—"

Estella stepped into her room, leaning against the wall and trying to control her breathing as Arthur shut the door behind them, standing there quietly as he watched her. "I would rather be completely alone than surrounded by people who hate me and distrust me," she whispered, turning to look at Arthur for a second before she had to look away. "I have no friends here. No one cares, except you. Why am I trapped here? Send me away, please…I don't belong."

He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she finally clung to him, her magic crackling uncontrollably. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered. "My magic...it's never this unstable. I don't understand, Dad. What if I hurt someone? What will the Order do to me?"

"You answer to me," Arthur said firmly. "They will not interfere with my authority over you. They believe that I am your legal guardian. And as for your magic...it is possible that you are coming into your adult magic, Estella."

"But that's usually at fifteen, isn't it?" Estella asked in confusion. "I'm not even fourteen yet!"

"Well, if bonding with your serpents effects your magic, then you may get it earlier," Arthur told her. "Anything that effects your magic can bring it on before the age of fifteen."

"And that's the unstable crackling, the outbursts of uncontrolled magic?" Estella questioned, pulling away from him.

Arthur nodded, and Estella slid down the wall, putting her head in her hands. "This isn't right," Estella groaned. "Why do I not matter, but Harry bloody Potter gets the 'one of my sons' status? He's not special; he was just an accident, and we all know it. He's just another orphan. I know life isn't fair, but...adoption is supposed to mean that you have a father and mother finally. She's never been a mother to me, Dad."

He agreed, sitting down next to her with a sigh. "I won't excuse her actions," he said quietly. "There are a lot of things we should have done differently with you, but I was too young and naive. You're nothing like a Weasley: that's for sure. We shouldn't have expected that of you, but we honestly didn't know what to expect. I didn't know I'd chosen such a dangerous child for my only daughter."

She looked at him to see how he meant this statement, then smiled weakly. "I'm no more different than Nymphadora," she said, almost pleadingly. "Is it bad to be special? Am I that strange?"

Lifting her hand, she summoned the picture of her and her cousins from her trunk. "They know me," she said, giving it to her father. "Most of them accept me as I am, even though I get teased about being a Weasley. When they see my serpents, they know who I am. Lauren, Megan, Meris—they're my friends, Dad. I want to be back there…I belong with them."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "It'll be soon enough," he reassured her, glancing down at the picture. "That's your Patronus, isn't it?"

Estella nodded. "I'm a protector and Healer," she told him. "That picture was taken the night that Sirius escaped Hogwarts, and the dementors around the lake above had been effecting several of the Slytherins there in the Common Room. That's why Meris and I are lying on the floor with the Lestrange twins: they were really bad that night."

"You're a Healer?" Arthur asked her curiously.

"Yeah," she murmured, then looked over into his eyes. "I'm apprenticed to Madam Pomfrey for the rest of the time I'm at school. I've taken the Healers' Oath in front of Dumbledore and the Heads of House, and I do shifts in the Hospital Wing throughout the school year. I started last year, when I started electives."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Arthur said, a smile breaking across his face. "That's wonderful, Estella."

"I didn't want to face you and explain why I wanted to do it," Estella said haltingly. "I was afraid of who I would become, and all I could see in my future was darkness, and I wanted to do something good in the world. So when I found that I was interested in learning healing magic and was offered the chance, I jumped at it."

"I'm proud of you," he said, and she ducked her head, reaching out to pick at the worn carpet. "Learn everything you can, because now that we're going to war, you'll most likely have real life chances to put it to good use."

"_No magic out of Hogwarts_!" Estella mimicked, her eyes blazing as she thought of Molly's yelling at her.

Arthur nodded. "Normally, I would say that should be upheld, first of all because of how many underaged children we've always had in the house. But now that most of you all are older, I think you should be able to use charms and things at home: my parents allowed my brothers and me to do that, and it helped us transition to fully magical lives outside school."

Estella held out her hands questioningly. "Then why don't we?"

He sighed. "Molly was opposed to it," Arthur answered. "She thinks Fred and George can't be trusted to use magic properly still. And she's afraid of the things you would do if you were allowed to use magic at home."

"Good," Estella said without remorse. "I'm glad."

"I'm sure," he chuckled. "But here's what I was trying to say: if you're growing into your adult magic, you need to be using it or the 'accidental' magic will only get worse. I'm sure you do it behind closed doors anyway—Bill, Charlie, and the twins always did. I'll have a word with Molly about it: you should be able to feed your own serpents—after all, they haven't hurt anyone except Sirius."

"He asked for it," Estella grumbled. "Git."

"So you'll save doing magic in front of the others until I give you the okay, all right?" he asked her, and she nodded, giving him a grateful smile.

She pulled herself to her knees and threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks, Dad, you're the best," she said into his ear, hugging him tightly.

He chuckled, returning her embrace. "I do my best by all my children," he said.

She drew back and looked straight into his eyes. "I've got to tell you," she said quickly. "It's—it's about Percy." Arthur's eyes immediately grew shadowed, and she said, "No, Dad—he agrees with you. He knows that Fudge was trying to get him to spy on you: that's why he left. He told me he didn't want to endanger the family. He's got nothing against you...he told me to tell you if I could. He doesn't hate us, and he will come back if he has the chance."

Arthur's grip tightened on her hand, and he breathed, "How can I believe that after the things he said?"

Estella reached out her left hand, touching his face as she let herself relive her memory while projecting it into his mind…

_"I wouldn't leave if there was another option," Percy said quietly, turning away from his sister. "But the Ministry leaves me no choice, and I can't do both. I'll endanger everything Mum and Dad have fought and will fight for if I don't go."_

_ "You can't be a secret spy?" Estella asked, her heart pounding. "Percy, please don't leave. I know it's difficult here...I don't like it much either, but_—"

_"__I'm not leaving because I hate the place," the young man replied. "I'm leaving to protect them, though they may never know." He sighed. "It's going to be awful, seeing Dad and Bill at the Ministry all the time."_

_ He shut the lid of his trunk, locked, and warded it. "Look:" he said, turning back to her. "If you get the chance, tell him I'm not actually angry at him. I said a lot of things that I don't even believe, just so I could make everyone think I actually disagree with Dad. __I know it's important to fight for what we believe, but I've got to stay away from the family or I'll put them in danger. It's easier if they actually think I'm the git they always imagined me to be. Maybe I can help from the inside: we'll see."_

Arthur drew a shuddering breath and looked away from Estella. "He...he didn't have to go," Arthur said hoarsely. "We could have talked, figured something out."

"He'll come back to us," Estella said earnestly, her eyes brighter than usual. "He was raised right, Dad. Percy knows the truth and he'll join us in time. I'll welcome him back as my brother just as if he never left. I promised him that if he would always be my brother, I would always be his sister. He promised me, too."

"Good," Arthur said after a moment, then let go of her hand and slowly got to his feet. "Are you all right after our little adventure this afternoon?"

"My real mother is furious because I went off on her and Father when we got back," Estella said matter-of-factly. "Dad isn't speaking to me and I don't know what's going on with my brothers. I think I'm going to have to talk to Mum and Dad and see if I can fix what I've said to them, but it was very hurtful…." She heaved a sigh. "If I seem sick, or if I'm moving slow one day, I probably went to see them and got Cursed."

"So you have found another way out?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow as she got to her feet as well.

"Well, I didn't find it," she said. "It sort of...offered itself to me. But I'm not sure if I should actually use it, or if I should wait til I'm at school to try to fix it."

"Better sooner than later, isn't it," Arthur said kindly. "They are your parents, after all. No matter what you argued about, I'm sure they care."

Estella just looked at him bleakly. She knew that her real father cared, but he seemed too busy keeping Meretta from yelling at her to provide any support. She knew they said they loved her and that they wouldn't have left her if they could have helped it, but deep down, she still didn't believe her mother and felt hurt and angry whenever she remembered it.

She looked into Arthur Weasley's eyes. "I told them that parents should not just abandon their children, and that being on the run from the Ministry was no excuse. You saw what my brothers were like. If Mother and Father cared so much that I was adopted into a strange family, then why did they continue having children if they couldn't keep them? And why would they give them over to Muggles if they hate Muggles? I put all the blame on Mum and Dad, and they were both very upset."

"Estella," said Arthur gently, "I won't tell you how to get along with your parents. But be very careful. They were probably raised a lot more rough than you have been raised so far."

"I know," Estella nodded. "Mum's already used _Crucio_ on me multiple times. I can handle a few of those: I've had practise with it already."

Arthur frowned slightly, then said, "Well, I'm going downstairs to see if they're done filling Harry in yet. I suppose you'll be asking Hermione about it all?"

Estella shook her head. "I'm going straight to bed. I don't want to think anymore today. Every part of me hurts: body, mind, and magic. I just want to rest."

He agreed, leaning down to kiss her head, then leaving the room quietly.

Estella sniffed a little, then undressed and went straight to bed, warding her bed carefully so that no one could reach her except Arthur and Dora. She would eventually try to talk to her parents, but today was not that day.


	7. Cleaning Day

The next morning, Estella was awakened by Fred's voice saying, "Stel, breakfast is downstairs. Mum wants us all in the drawing room."

"And try not to break any glasses this time," George added. "You got three last night."

"Yeah, what's got you crackling, Miss Parkington?" said Fred suspiciously.

Estella gave a huge yawn, then looked around to see that Hermione had left the room already. "Dad said last night he thinks I'm getting my adult magic," she answered, sitting up with a groan.

Fred raised an eyebrow. "You're not even fourteen," he said. "Special one, isn't she, George?"

"Yeah," George began, but Estella yawned, "I'm not in the mood, boys."

"That's some cranky adult magic," George nodded. "See you in the drawing room."

The twins left the room, and Estella sighed. Twenty minutes later, she was entering the drawing room to find Molly, Hermione, and the twins already facing the doxy-ridden curtains.

"Start spraying, then pick them up and put them in this bucket," Molly was saying to the others. She looked up at the girl who had just entered the room, paused, then said, "Join us, Estella."

Estella merely walked over, tied a towel over her face just like the twins and Hermione had, and got to work with the rest of them without saying a word. Ron and Harry joined them a few minutes later, Molly having to explain it all yet again to them. "I've never seen an infestation this bad," she was saying. "What has the elf been doing for the last ten years—"

"Kreacher's really old," Hermione said reproachfully. "He—"

"You'd be surprise what old Kreacher can manage when he wants, Hermione," Sirius said, appearing in the doorway with a bag.

"_Hisssusss_!" the bitemates all said excitedly, but Estella said, "No. You were fed yesssterday. That is _silf_, waste, for other creaturesss."

The bitemates seemed to settle, though they all hissed uneasily when Harry looked their way. Estella kept her silence as they all work to get rid of the doxies, relieved when Molly straightened up, gathered the last doxies into the bucket from the floor, and declared them finished.

Estella looked down into the bucket and shook her head, wondering why on earth they didn't just smash them, or kill them somehow. They surely weren't doing anyone any good conscious, or unconscious.

"We'll do those after lunch," Molly say, pointing at the dingy-looking glass cabinets on either side of the fireplace.

"Are they unlocked?" Estella asked, looking between Molly and Sirius. "They were locked when we first got here, weren't they?

"Yes," Sirius answered. "Andromeda smashed one when she was here—don't even ask, Parkington. She repaired it and the wards on them fell."

"How does that work with her?" Estella frowned. "She shouldn't have any access at all, should she?"

"Does it matter?" Sirius said darkly. "At least we can clean up this mad house."

Estella shrugged, then tilted her head and softly thought, _Are you going to tell anyone about your brother, Sirius_?

The mental backlash from whatever Sirius did to her when he heard that made her ears ring, and she reeled in shock, everyone looking at her strangely. Sirius laughed mockingly, then turned and left the room after Molly, hearing someone knock at the door and set off Walburga's portrait.

"You all right there, Ginny?" Harry said to her.

"I'm Estella," she hissed, her head beginning to ache. "I'm fine."

"You looked like someone had slapped you," Ron chuckled.

"He did," Estella groaned, rubbing her temples. "I can project thoughts, Ron. I can tell someone something by just suggesting it to their awareness, and it can't be stopped by normal Occlumency because it's not Legilimency. Sirius is just more touchy than most people."

Harry frowned. "You tried to get in his head?" he asked.

Estella walked over to the tapestry and slid down to sit on the floor, holding her head in her hands. "No," she muttered. "I just told you it doesn't go into their minds. It's just a surface thing. He must understand this sort of thing more than most people...it's like the magical backlash of refusing mind invasion."

"Because we're all experienced in that," Fred said brightly.

"We know exactly what you mean," George agreed.

"Nothing like it," Fred grinned.

Estella didn't even look at them. "I can give you experience," she muttered. "Just try me."

Harry was still watching her, her bitemates told her, and the boy blushed slightly, saying, "Sirius doesn't seem to like you too well, does he?"

"No," Estella mumbled. "But I don't care...I think I remind him of his real family. And he and I have an existing feud because one of my friends and I ran into him in the cave in Hogsmeade last year, so I've had it in for him ever since."

"_Hisssusss_," the bitemates hissed in amusement. "Belongsss to the nessst of the _sheisss-tsez_."

"Friend-enemy?" Harry questioned her, and Estella smiled weakly.

"The House of Black," she answered. "That's what the bitemates call it. He cursed my friend, so I let one of my serpents bite him a couple weeks ago when we got here because he attacked me. He's pretty stable, but you can get him going, if you know how—you saw him and Molly go around."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "You did?" she said in shock. "But Mrs Weasley said—"

Estella looked up, but covered her eyes. "She doesn't know," she said. "But Dad does. He told me never to do that again, and I won't. I think we're even."

"Vengeful, this one," Fred said to Harry, motioning to Estella. "Never been hexed by her, have you? She's got quite a selection."

"Yeah, she doesn't even need the bitemates," George chuckled.

"But I like them," Estella pouted, stroking Icythan protectively before laughing slightly and going back to holding her head in her hands.

The room went unusually silent for a few moments until she heard the door close with a snap, and Fred said, "Hello, Kreacher. Where are you going with that?"

Estella looked up to see the old house-elf walking toward her with a steaming goblet embossed with the House of Black crest in his hands. Kreacher didn't acknowledge Fred, but continued toward Estella, and George said, "I don't think he can hear you, Fred. Perhaps he's deaf in his old age."

Hermione was about to scold both twins for laughing when Kreacher muttered, very fast, "Oh, yes, it has a twin...unnatural little beasts they are. Nothing like the son of my mistress, no. And there is a strange boy—"

"Not _that_ sort of strange," Estella giggled at the confusion of her bitemates. "Different, bitematesss. Different."

"—Kreacher doesn't know him," the elf continued. "What's he doing here...what's he up to?"

"This is Harry, Kreacher," Hermione said politely. "Harry Potter."

One of the elf's ears twitched, and Estella saw the expression on the elf's face as he muttered, "The Mudblood is speaking to Kreacher as if she is a friend. Oh, if my poor mistress knew...what would she say to Kreacher? What would she do—"

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" Ron and George said together angrily.

"It's fine, he doesn't know what he's saying," Hermione said stoutly.

"Don't be ridiculous; of course he knows," said Fred sternly, glaring at the elf.

"What are you doing here, Kreacher?" Estella asked him quietly. "And what is that...it looks like Pepperup Potion, but different."

The elf looked at her shrewdly. "Master sent it for you," he said, offering it to her. "Master says Kreacher must tell Estella that it will help with her head."

Fred stepped forward. "Stel, no. He's probably trying to poison you. Don't trust him."

Estella looked from the elf to the cup, her head pounding even worse as she tried to decide what to do. She looked from Kreacher to the portraits on the cabinets, suddenly realising that one of them was awake and watching them all very carefully. It was a picture of Regulus Black at sixteen years old.

She turned to Kreacher, took the goblet, and downed the potion without hesitation, handing it back to him with a smile. "Thanks, Kreacher," she said gratefully. "I am thankful for his kindness."

"Master says to remind Estella where the blood-traitor came from," Kreacher intoned. "Do not underestimate the nasty, ungrateful brat who broke my mistress's heart."

"She had no heart," came a voice from the doorway. Sirius himself glowered at the elf. "What are you playing at? And what did you give her?"

"Kreacher did nothing he was not told to do," the elf said proudly, disapparating with a small pop.

"He brought me a potion," Estella said with a smirk, getting to her feet and staring directly at Sirius. "How does it feel to be watched wherever you go?"

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, closed it for a moment, then finally said, "I don't see why the Weasleys brought you here. You clearly aren't one of them and you don't sympathise with the Order at all. You're a liability, just as you said."

"Those were Tonks' words, not mine," Estella scoffed, glaring at him as Molly entered the room.

"Arguing, you two?" Molly said, looking between them.

Sirius said nothing, a dull, annoyed expression on his face as he took a sandwich from the tray and walked away to stand by Harry, close by the tapestry as he eyed her darkly before Harry made some comment about the tapestry and he turned to it.

Estella watched as Sirius mentioned different ones of his family to Harry, telling the boy the story of his running away. She bristled with anger when she realised that Sirius was not going to tell them that Regulus was still alive, though she calmed slightly when she realised that Sirius may have been trying to protect his brother from the Order.

She said nothing as Sirius full-on lied to Harry and whoever else was listening about Regulus' supposed death, then went on to talk about Dora and Andromeda. Harry was shocked to learn that his godfather was related to Dora, Bellatrix, and the Malfoys.

"And the Lestranges," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I remember the day they found the twins...never thought I'd see the day when dear cousin Bella had children. She's not the type. Merlin knows how long they were in that cell with her, because she never told anyone that she was expecting. I heard all three nearly died, but they must be as strong and stubborn as their mother, because they're still alive."

"So tell me," Sirius said with a glint in his eyes, pointing to the name beside Draco's. "Who is this Aislinn Malfoy, little Parkington?"

A very sick feeling came over Estella, and she shook her head, backing away from them all as she clamped her mouth shut tightly. "Can't speak of it," she whispered. "Won't speak of it."

"There's another Malfoy?" Fred said in shock. "No way."

The Weasley brothers and Hermione crowded around Sirius, Harry, and the tapestry to see what they were talking about. "Aislinn," George said in wonder. "1991. She's…nearly four years old. Supposedly she's Draco's sister."

Sirius frowned at this. "If she was, she'd be known," he said, thinking very quickly. "But the House of Malfoy doesn't talk about her." He looked up in shock, his eyes lighting up as if he'd just been given the best gift ever. "She's got to be a _Squib_!" he said in amazement. "But do they still have her, or did they send her away?" He turned and looked at Estella. "You know, don't you?"

Estella shook her head in refusal, the sick feeling still there as he pressed her for information. "You've had a Tongue-Tying Curse done, haven't you?" Sirius said, stepping toward her, and she stepped back, her eyes meeting his with determination.

"Cissa did it," Estella whispered. "Safety reasons. Please don't ask me. It'll probably be found out soon, anyway."

"So they still have her," Sirius mused, turning and looking at the tapestry. "Cissa always did get too attached to people, but then she did choose the pureblood life."

Estella's brow furrowed in anger at Sirius' words, but the girl said nothing, wanting to avoid any further questioning by Sirius and the others.

After lunch, they started on the cabinets, Sirius having the younger ones between him and Molly so that they could control any situations that cropped up. Estella managed to avoid most of the things that were dangerous and moved out of the way as a sharp needle-like instrument scuttled off the shelf and tried to stab Harry in the arm.

Estella removed a small music box, which opened and began to play a dark, wintery tune. She smiled slightly, everyone seeming to turn toward it and work at a slower pace. She slammed the music box shut, glancing around at them. "We don't need a music box to put us to sleep," she said firmly, tossing it into the trash bag they were all using.

"Look, an Order of Merlin, First Class," Ron said, sounding impressed.

"My grandfather's," Sirius said. "It means he gave the Ministry a load of gold." He moved to toss it in the bag, frowned, then huffed in annoyance and chucked it in the bag anyway. "It's of no use to anyone anyway," he muttered.

"Where did all these daggers come from?" Estella asked curiously, pulling out a rusty blade studded with green gems. She pointed it at Fred. "_En garde!_"

Fred reached for another dagger, but Molly said, "Absolutely not, you two!" and Sirius laughed.

"The one you're holding, Estella, only injures people if you stab and twist," Sirius told her. "Otherwise, the wound heals as soon as the dagger is removed. That one with the dark purple stones inhibits clotting. Get stabbed with that one and you're likely to bleed out in ten minutes."

"Wonderful," Estella said flippantly. "And the blue-silver one?"

"It breaks off in its victim," the man replied, carefully covering it and throwing it in the bag as well. "The blade then grows back and is ready to be used again. The victim requires actual Muggle surgery, or whatever it's called, to have the blade removed before the wound festers and kills them."

Harry looked up at his godfather. "They've got one for everything," he said.

Sirius laughed drily. "My brother and I nicknamed all of the daggers," he said with a smirk. "That one" he pointed at the one Estella was reluctant to set down "we called _Crucio_."

Estella looked from the knife to Sirius as Molly made a sound of disapproval. Hermione looked scandalised, and Estella's entire face suddenly lit up. "_Stab and twist_!" she said as it dawned on her. "Yes!"

Molly turned to glare at Sirius. "You are not giving them lessons on Unforgivables," she snapped at him.

"They don't seem to need it," Sirius said simply as Ron added, "Yes, Crouch taught us those, Mum."

"Ha!" Estella sniggered. "My mother taught me the Unforgivables before I was two years old. I mean, you've experienced that, Ron."

"I don't remember it," Ron said, frowning at her. "Even with my suppressed memories returned I don't remember it."

"It's probably for the best," she told him. "It's not something I would do to you now, of course. It was just my last straw reaction."

"Stab and twist," Fred chuckled in amusement.

"Swish and flick," George sing-songed.

Harry shivered slightly, and Estella immediately understood. "You felt the Dark Lord's Curse, didn't you?" she breathed. "That's probably one of the worst, you know. I've only been cursed by Rishka, Draco, my real mother, and the Tom Riddle out of that journal."

Hermione stared at her. "Malfoy? _Malfoy_ Cursed you?" she said in shock. "That's illegal!"

"Of course it is," Estella shrugged. "But it's Lucius' responsibility since Draco's still underaged and of course nothing will happen to Lucius."

"Retaliate," Sirius said. "It's the only way with those high-and-mighty ones."

"Oh, I did," Estella giggled. "He screams like a girl."

This brought a bark of laughter from Sirius and the others, but Hermione and Molly both were frowning at them. Molly reached for the silver-framed portraits, but Sirius turned and said, "Let me go through those, Molly. Those are more recent and may not be safe to touch."

She said, "Oh" and left him to it.

Sirius was careful with the portraits, Estella noticed, saving the one of Regulus and leaving it on the cabinet, along with one of Narcissa and a couple others she didn't know. "The best of the worst," he said grudgingly. "Though it is true that whenever the House of Black produces a halfway decent person, they're most likely going to be disowned for some ridiculous reason."

"You never told me," Estella said in an undertone to the twins. "What did Gran Cedrella say about me that you said I'd never know?"

"Remind us later," George said. "Or you can ask Bill. He's the one that told us. We're old but we were still young when she died."

"She understood you, but wanted nothing to do with you," Fred admitted. "She did tell Dad that he'd chosen one of the most difficult tasks in the world, though. And not because of you: I guess she disapproved of your mother."

"I never knew Cedrella," Sirius mused, getting to his feet and surveying the damage they'd done. "She was disowned before I was born, and I never talked to her, even after I left the family."

"I wish I could have talked to her," Estella said. "I think I'd ask her why she'd marry a Weasley when she knew she'd get disowned. She didn't run away to do that, did she?"

"I'd ask Dad, if I were you," Fred said. "We asked him about her once, but he just said that it didn't matter, that it was all in the past. He might actually give _you_ a reasonable answer, though."

"Why do you want to know these things?" Molly asked Estella.

"Yeah, it's not as if they're your real family," Ron said.

"It doesn't matter," Estella answered. "It's history. I was raised with you: I know you and all your brothers very well. I know all of you."

"But do you know who you are?" Sirius smirked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Estella leaned back on her hands and looked at him. "I question who I am every day," she replied. "I don't know."

"I thought you were '_just Estella,_'" George joked.

"Well then," Molly said decisively. "Let's move onto the dining room. "There's a chest in there we've got to go through."

"Full of the House of Black china," Sirius muttered. "Shall we smash it?"

"Shall we?" Estella grinned at him.

"You seem far too eager for this, Parkington," Sirius said suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I wouldn't tell you if I was," she answered. "Destroying things has always been a favourite of mine."

"Not surprising," Sirius said, leading the way out of the drawing room. "Meretta was the same way, though she was in Regulus' year. She's a little Bellatrix wanna-be."

"Yeah, he said as much," Estella agreed, making Hermione give her a strange look. "But I can guarantee you: she's herself."

"There's no one like Bellatrix," Sirius mused, shaking his head. "I'm sure with all your pureblood connections and whatnot, you'll meet her eventually."

"But she's..." Hermione's voice trailed off.

"In Azkaban?" Sirius said darkly. "Not for long. I give the Death Eaters about six months, if that, before they're all broken out."

Estella nodded. "We all expect it," she said. "The twins are eager to meet their parents—Lestrange twins, Fred. Merlin." She rolled her eyes at them as they entered the dining room.

Sirius lifted his right hand, magic crackling, and one of the lamps lit very dimly. "And are you thrilled to meet the Dark Lord's _Most Faithful_, Parkington?"

"Not necessarily," Estella answered, looking pained. "But I do want to see if what everyone says about her is true."

"That she's a crazy evil bitch?" Sirius sniggered, ignoring Molly's scolding of "not around the children!" He walked over to the chest of drawers that Molly had been talking about, saying, "It's all true. You'll see."

Sirius wrenched open one of the drawers, the front of it coming off in his hand as huge spiders jumped out of the drawer and scrambled for a new hiding place. "No," Sirius said, smashing one. "No—no—no—"

Ron evacuated the room immediately, and Sirius drew his wand, smashing each one individually, to his own great amusement. Estella leaned against the wall, feeling a cobweb against her face and brushing it away in annoyance. "You're all mad," she chuckled.

Estella was glad when they were finished for the day and she went upstairs to relax for an hour before supper. She was about to enter her room when she heard the clattering of the locks and chains on the front door and stepped to the edge of the landing to see who was arriving.

She was glad to see Nymphadora enter the house, sporting bright blue hair and narrowly avoiding the troll leg umbrella stand. "Dora!" she called softly, waving when the witch looked up.

Dora grinned. "Wotcher," she answered brightly. "I've just got to give this report and I'm coming up there. I've got something to tell you."

"I can hardly wait," Estella said drily, turned, and disappeared into her room.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door, and Estella waved the door open to find Nymphadora standing there, grinning at her. "You look thrilled about something," Estella said in greeting.

Nymphadora laughed, then walked into the room and let the door slam shut behind her. "Well," she said, "I nearly got taken off your parents' case, but I reminded them that I was acquainted with you and they decided to leave me on it. I guess they think—"

"That I'm likely to betray my parents?" Estella scoffed. "I'm not sure: is that worse or better than being a liability?"

"Stel..." Nymphadora shook her head. "I wanted Bill to know that you had certain powers so that he'd think twice about taking you to the house of different Order members. It's not really against you: it's just that none of us can predict when you're channeling things to your parents."

"Well, I'm fighting with them right now, so that's not happening," Estella muttered.

"Fighting?" Dora asked softly. "What's going on?"

"You wouldn't care," Estella huffed.

Nymphadora shrugged. "I mean, no one else here would care except Arthur and I doubt he'd ask you about it."

Estella scowled at the young Auror. "_He_ isn't after my parents," she said in annoyance.

The witch nodded. "But...I do want to help you, in spite of our conflicts. I don't think you're a bad person; I like you."

Estella couldn't help but laugh. "You've misplaced your trust," she said.

"On the contrary," Nymphadora said with a wink. "I don't trust you at all."

The girl looked at Dora thoughtfully, then nodded. "I think we can do that," she said. "Be friends and not trust each other."

Dora grinned. "So. Why are you and your parents fighting?"

"I...my brothers," Estella murmured. "Because I was taken in by the Weasleys and I wasn't supposed to be available for adoption in the first place, my parents sent my two brothers to a Muggle orphanage so they could control the matrons. They've been raised with no magic, Dora: my little brothers. They're worse off than me: no history, no Parselmouth training, none of it."

"But they were just recently moved to your cousins' house, correct?" Dora asked.

"Yes. But they act...different. It's horrible." Estella shook her head, then looked up at Nymphadora. "I don't know how to talk to them, and one of them even said that they didn't need to talk to me because they didn't know me."

"They've probably only ever had each other," Nymphadora said sympathetically. "They're not used to having a big sister than they can talk to. It does take some getting used to, having new family. Didn't it take you a while to adjust to your parents?"

"I apparently haven't adjusted yet," Estella huffed.

"Well, you still blame them for it all, I'm sure." Nymphadora sat down on the edge of the bed. "Parents don't like that, you know. Even if it is their fault and they can't change it, they don't like knowing they've hurt or brought difficulties upon their children. My mother was like that when I was going through some hard times at school, and Dad was the one that got me through. You know what I did at school; I ran the place, in spite of who and what I am. You can do whatever you put your mind to, Estella."

"Did your dad tell you that?"

Dora shook her head. "No, I wouldn't let him defend Mum, because it was ultimately her decision. And Dad would not have encouraged my behaviour at school. But your brothers—you can reach out to them. You do know some of what it's like, even though they'll probably tell you that you don't. It is not your fault, whatever they tell you, and you can help them understand your parents."

Estella bit her lip slightly. "But my parents don't even make sense to me. I get so angry at them sometimes, and other times...I know why they've done what they have."

The older witch nodded. "It's part of growing up and part of being a family," she said. "It all makes sense when you get older, even though I'm sure you believe (just like I did) that you'll never understand what possessed your parents to do the things they've done."

"I can't," Estella groaned, putting her head in her hands. "Mum's furious, I know that. Dad won't talk to me because he's too busy keeping her from screaming at me. I know he's upset as well even though he understands better than Mum. What do I do? I don't really want to be on the outs with them, but everything I said was true."

"Sometimes the truth doesn't need to be spoken," Dora told her. "I could have avoided most problems with my own parents by not pointing out their flaws and faults when they were more than aware of them. It's better to accept and love them because they're your parents rather than to judge them because they treated you wrong, or they should have done something differently. Parenting isn't easy, and neither is being raised by one, two, or four of them."

Estella laughed drily. "True," she said. "I will eventually make it up to Mum and Dad, but I'm still upset that they separated me and my brothers, and that my brothers are completely ignorant about their families."

"I'm sure you know the risks," Dora said simply, looking right at her.

"Yeah," Estella sighed. "I'm bound to get tortured."

"You believe that?" Dora asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Estella answered. "Mother's Cursed me for much less than yelling at her that she made wrong life decisions."

Dora nodded. "My mother's actually shocked me a few times when I was younger," she said. "She's never done a full Curse on me, but I know she's more than capable."

"My mother's _Crucio_ed me at least twice since I met her," the Parkington shrugged. "She doesn't hold back."

"What did you do?" Tonks laughed. "What could you have done in so short a time?"

Estella grinned. "Refused to disassociate myself from you."

Nymphadora looked shocked, then sighed. "I should have known. I tend to put people in danger because of who I am."

The younger witch merely shrugged. "It's not the first time, and it won't be the last I've been tortured," she said. "I don't like it, but it's not unbearable. My friends and I are going to work on our pain tolerance this next year."

"I see," Tonks said seriously. "Don't kill each other, and for Merlin's sake don't do too much."

"There will be several of us," Estella reassured her. "I think we'll be okay. I've also had some Healer training and can be some help."

"But you don't know shit about healing injuries caused by Dark magic," Nymphadora pointed out. "Because you're apprenticed to Madam Pomfrey and injured Slytherins do _not_ go to the Hospital Wing: they go to a Healer within their House."

"You have a suggestion, Castella?" the Parkington inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Don't call me that," she said. "I'm not her anymore. My suggestion would be to talk to Lauren Avery: she can probably point you in the right direction. And research wouldn't hurt."

The black-haired witch agreed. "Lauren is wonderful. I wasn't sure that I liked her at first, but I do. She and Alvin are fun together and they're really helpful. Thanks, Dora; I'll talk to her."

"And I know it's frowned on by a lot of people," Dora said, "and you didn't hear this from me, but no matter what side of the war you're on, it's good to develop a high pain tolerance. May I ask who you're practising with in case I come across your magic on them or their magic on you?"

"The Lestranges," Estella answered simply. "All three of them."

"Bella, Rod, and Rabastan?" Tonks smirked at her teasingly.

"If they'll have me," Estella joked.

Nymphadora laughed darkly. "Bellatrix is probably the last person you'd want to do your Death Eater training," she said.

Estella grinned. "She trained my mother."

"Ah," Dora said ruefully. "Sometimes it's obvious. But surely if you took the Mark, your mother would train you."

"She would love to train her stubborn daughter in Death Eater ways," Estella sighed. "And Dad wants to train me to survive, whatever happens."

"I know you probably have experience with twin magic because of Fred and George," Tonks said, "but be careful with Kappa and Rho, or whatever their names are."

"Rohan and Karntaan," she giggled.

"They will have been raised together in magic and know ways to amplify their spells without touching each other," Nymphadora said warningly. "I saw the Weasley twins do some fairly powerful spells in their first couple years when I was still at school, and I'm sure the Lestrange twins will be no different."

Estella's eyes lit up. "Fred and George have awesome magic," she said. "And of course, the Charleston twins do shared spells a lot of the time, even though I never realised before what it was. Rohan and Karntaan are fun: I've shared magic with them before."

Nymphadora stared at her. "Both of them at the same time?" Estella nodded, and Nymphadora rolled her eyes. "Well, then you'll be more susceptible to their Curses and find it either very easy or very difficult to gain resistance to it."

"Oh." Estella glanced toward the picture in her trunk. "I didn't know."

"Guard your magic, child!" Tonks scolded her. "You become vulnerable when you share it with other wizards and witches! You can share spells and magic without contaminating your own, though, don't you know?"

"Yes, that's what Meris does," Estella answered. "But the twins aren't that careful, and I didn't know until after we did it."

"I have the feeling that you're going to learn a lot this year," Tonks told her, and Estella nodded.

"I can't wait," she sighed.


	8. The Boggart

The day of Harry's Ministry hearing came very quickly, but Estella did not wake up that morning until after Harry and Mr. Weasley had already set off for the Ministry. She sat in the drawing room with Hermione and Ron, Hermione pacing the floor as she was extremely worried about the outcome of Harry's hearing.

"They can't expel him; they just can't," Hermione breathed, brushing her hand over her face.

"Come off it, Hermione," Ron sighed, leaning against the wall next to the window. "He's going to be fine."

"As if you're not worried," Hermione huffed, folding her arms and glaring at him for a moment before returning to pacing the floor.

"Dumbledore's got it under control," Estella said, rolling her eyes at the two as she looked up from one of the books she'd found at Grimmauld. "Harry's going to be just fine."

Ron turned to her suspiciously. "That's one of the Dark Arts books Sirius warned us about, isn't it?" he said. "You are a Dark witch."

Estella gave him a dirty look. "I am not," she replied. "I'm merely studying a book about curses. It's no more dangerous than any book on curses. Even the ones in the Hogwarts library can be pretty wicked."

"Especially in the Restricted Section," Hermione agreed. "I've found some books that I don't think I'll ever look at again."

"Sirius' family is evil," Ron said to Estella. "They were in with You-Know-Who, and even his little brother was killed by him. You can't read just any book of theirs you find lying around—well, you tend to find the wrong books anyway. You almost died first year because of a book. Shouldn't you be more careful?"

"That was Lucius' doing," Estella huffed. "Merlin knows what he thought would happen if he gave a little girl a journal that contained a memory of the Dark Lord. He's stupid. I hope the Dark Lord's razed him just a bit for his foolishness. My mother was right about him."

"Your mother?" Hermione inquired hesitantly.

"Oh yes," Estella grinned broadly. "My mother and Lucius Malfoy hate each other, you see. She scolded him strongly for disposing so carelessly of something the Dark Lord entrusted to him. But it was already too late." She gave a little laugh. "I love that they don't get along, because Draco and I don't get along. It's a family feud."

"I thought you got along fine with Malfoy," Ron said in surprise. "After all, Fred said—or was it George?—that said you talked to him and even practised Quidditch with him."

"Nonsense," Estella said. "I played as chaser with their team once, but I didn't do it for Draco. I actually cursed Draco a week or so before we left school—in front of the whole Slytherin Common Room. They know I don't tolerate his idiocies."

Ron's eyes lit up. "Yeah?" he said. "Do that in front of me one of these days. I'd love to see that."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded him. "We're not like that!"

"We are," Estella nodded. "It's fun to take him down, especially since he's supposed to be the all-powerful Malfoy heir. He's not so great, in spite of himself."

"Which of you do you think would win in a duel?" Ron asked her.

"Well, Draco won last time," Estella shrugged. "But he won't next time. I'll be practising my duelling skills this year so that I'm prepared for whatever happens."

"We all should," Hermione said, and opened her mouth to continue when they heard voices coming from downstairs. "I think he's arrived!" She jumped up and hurried to the door, Ron right after her as Estella set her book aside and got up to follow them.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Fred and George were dancing around the table chanting, "He got off. He got off. He got off." Harry had sat down across from Sirius and Mr Weasley was saying, "Lucius was there speaking to Fudge on level nine before they went up to his office together. Dumbledore should know."

Estella tilted her head thoughtfully, deciding not to point out that Lucius Malfoy speaking to the Minister of Magic was not unusual. Instead, she joined Fred and George in their sort of war chant, dancing around the table with them.

"Honestly, you three," Mr Weasley said to them, shaking his head though he was grinning. "I've got to get back. I'll see you all later."

Estella waved. "Bye, Dad!" she said. "He got off! He got off!"

"Fred—George—Estella," Molly shouted. "Sit down!"

Estella giggled as Molly turned to Harry, offering him food since the boy had hardly eaten any breakfast. She continued dancing with the twins until Molly yelled for them to shut up and they sat down at the table to have a meal as well.

* * *

The day before they were all supposed to go back to school, Estella was surprised to have the booklists arrive by owl in the kitchen. "Oh, good," Ron said through a mouthful of pancake. "I'll just take Harry's up to him in a minute."

Estella took her booklist, read it over quickly, then took it straight to Molly, letting her know they had arrived. She took Hermione's to her room, finding the brown-haired witch packing her trunk carefully. "Booklist," she said, handing it off to the girl. "It's not that different, but there is a Defence book on it, so we all have a new DADA professor."

"Oh, good," Hermione said excitedly. "I heard Ron say that Dumbledore was having trouble finding one."

"I'm not surprised," Estella chuckled. She turned toward her trunk, then sat down on her bed with a sigh, not wanting to begin to pack at all.

"Oh!" Hermione squealed suddenly, and Estella jumped in shock.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, oh, I'm a _prefect_!" Hermione gasped, holding up a red and gold badge. "I can't believe it! But of course I've worked so hard...this is wonderful!"

Estella grinned at her. "Good for you," she said. "Bill, Charlie, and Percy were prefects, too, but I think it skipped the last three boys."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Harry's probably boys' prefect, don't you think?" she said earnestly, jumping to her feet. "Come on, let's go see!"

She ran nearly the whole way up the stairs and into Harry and Ron's room. "I knew it!" she cried happily, seeing the badge in Harry's hand, Estella walking into the room behind her. "Me too, Harry, me too"

"No, no," Harry said quickly, pushing the badge into Ron's hand. "It's Ron's. Ron's the prefect."

Estella's mouth fell open, and Hermione gaped at them. "Really? You mean—are you sure?"

"It's my name on the letter," Ron said defiantly, and Hermione struggled to find something polite to say in spite of her shock.

"Well, that's wonderful," she said after a moment. "Congratulations."

Fred and George were also in the room, and continued to make fun of Ron's new badge as Hermione tried to defend him. Estella noticed that Harry was strangely silent, and she was sure it was because Harry was wondering why Ron had got the badge instead of him.

Molly entered the room with fresh robes and began to lay them out, though the moment that Fred pointed out Ron's badge, Mrs Weasley grabbed her youngest son into a strangling hug. "I don't believe it!" she said in delight. "Ron, a _prefect_! That's the whole family!"

"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?" George asked in indignation, looking at Estella for support.

Estella shrugged. "Are you sure you weren't adopted?"

Harry shot her a look of amusement, and she grinned, Molly completely missing the conversation. "You've got to have a reward," she said to Ron. "We got Percy an owl, but you've already got one. Perhaps a new cauldron?"

"Can I have a broom?" Ron asked earnestly, hesitating when he saw his mother's expression. "Not a brand new one, just new to me, you know."

"Of course, dear, I'll see what I can do," Mrs Weasley said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she left, saying, "Ron, a _prefect_. Oh dear."

"You don't mind if we don't kiss you?" Fred said to Ron anxiously.

"We could curtsy if you like," George sniggered.

"Shut up," Ron snapped at them.

"Or what?" Fred chuckled. "Going to put us in detention?"

"He could, you know." Hermione was standing up, staring at the twins quite fiercely.

The twins shared looks, and George said, "Well, it looks as if our trouble-making days are through." The two disapparated, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Estella could hear them howling with laughter one floor above.

"Those two," Hermione said furiously. "They just don't listen to authority."

"You think you're their authority?" Estella said, raising an eyebrow. "At least they aren't abusing their powers, Hermione. They aren't hurting people, or doing Dark magic. Leave them alone."

She turned and left the room also, hurrying to find Molly and offering to go along with her to pick up books and things from Diagon Alley.

Molly gave her a very severe look, then said, "There will be no messing about, Estella. You will stay close by unless I send you to get something. Do you understand?"

"Of course," Estella answered. She was thrilled when she and Mrs Weasley left for Diagon, having just heard from one of her bitemates that Jonathan Sage was heading for Diagon with his three children and Shaul Parkington.

As she and Molly went from store to store, Estella kept an eye out for Jonathan Sage and the others, hoping she'd have a chance to speak to them. She didn't see them until she and Molly were at the Quidditch supply shop, accidentally running into Corin Sage because she'd hurried down an aisle and around some shelves too fast.

"Parkington," Corin said, then laughed at himself. "Or should I say Estella, since there's five of you now? How has your summer been?"

"Interesting," Estella answered. "How are things going at your house?"

Corin glanced around subtly, then said, "You should ask Dad that through your bitemates later. It has been more difficult this summer."

Estella nodded, just as she heard Molly call her name. Steeling herself for the return to Grimmauld, Estella excused herself and hurried back to Molly. The woman seemed slightly disturbed, quickly leading Estella to the counter to finish their purchases. It was when they were leaving that a small boy peeked out from behind some shelves and Estella caught his eye.

Her heart pounded faster, remembering his resemblance to their father. "Good morning, Shaul," she greeted him softly in Parseltongue.

"Morning," he answered, and Molly turned to see who was speaking.

"You two know each other?" Molly said kindly. "Who is this?"

"I am Shaul Parkington," the boy answered.

"He's my brother," said Estella. "He starts school this year."

Molly looked surprised. "Well, congratulations, dear," she said to him. "Hogwarts is a wonderful place. Did you get your wand yet?"

Shaul looked at his sister. "No," he said. "We wanted to see if Estella could go with us for it."

"Oh," Molly said, looking behind the boy as Jonathan and his daughters joined them. "Well, I suppose, if you'll bring her to the Leaky Cauldron right after. I'm nearly finished with shopping."

"Thank you!" said Estella excitedly, falling in with her brother and the Sages.

"Welcome," one of the girls hissed happily. "How's your summer been?"

"Um...interesting," Estella replied after a moment, realising she couldn't tell them anything about Grimmauld. "So, Arabelle, this is your first year too?"

"Yes," the girl grinned as they all followed Jonathan out of the shop. "And Peony starts this year too. The students in our year had better look out for us."

Estella laughed, and Corin grinned. "There's a lot of powerful students at school right now," he said thoughtfully as they made their way across the street toward Olivander's.

"Have you heard who the new DADA professor is?" Anabella asked in a hushed voice.

"No," Estella shook her head. "Who is it?"

"Delores Umbridge," Corin muttered to her. "Ministry bitch—" his father gave him a pointed look "—who is Fudge's right hand and as Dark as any Death Eater."

"Oh," Estella frowned. "Well, it should be an entertaining year, then."

"Ha," said Corin, opening the door of Olivander's for everyone.

They all filed inside, Olivander greeting everyone by their wand wood and cores. "Jonathan Sage," he said. "Ash wand, fourteen inches, with a core of unicorn hair. Corin Sage: Dogwood, thirteen inches, with a unicorn hair core. Anabella Sage: eleven inch sturdy English Oak, also unicorn hair."

He turned and looked at the black-haired witch. "Estella Parkington," he said. "Hawthorne, twelve and a half inches with a core of dragon heartstring. Does your wand still perform well for you?"

Estella frowned, drawing her wand and looking it over. The wand seemed to be calm for the moment, but the thing had been vibrating and heating up whenever she used it for the simplest spells. "It works, but I don't think it likes me much anymore," she admitted. "It's been buzzing when I try to do simple charms and things."

"May I see it?" Olivander asked her, and she nodded, holding her wand out to him. The old wizard looked over the wand very carefully, gave it a little swish, then held it out to Estella as if to show her something. "The core may be corrupted," he said. "It happens sometimes when a young witch or wizard is going through a lot of life changes. If it burns you, or jumps out of your hand, bring it back and we'll match you with another wand."

"Thanks," Estella said, slightly concerned at the man's words, though she stepped back, willing them to go ahead with Arabelle's and Shaul's wand-choosing.

Shaul motioned for the girl to go first, so Arabelle stepped forward and Olivander asked, "What is your name, child?"

"Arabelle Sage," the girl answered brightly. She grinned as the measuring tape jumped up and began measuring her for her wand.

Olivander surveyed her for a moment, then turned and began to pull wand boxes off of the shelves around him. "I have just the one...ah, here it is." He opened a box and lifted out a beautifully carved black wand, turning to Arabelle and placing it in her hand. "Ebony, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches," he said. "Go on, give it a swish."

Arabelle obeyed, her eyes widened as she did, the wand sending up green sparks. "Ooh!" she said with a grin.

Jonathan gave her a look of pride, then motioned her to his side and Shaul to step forward.

Olivander looked at the boy calculatingly. "Don't tell me," he said shrewdly. "You're Reginald Parkington's son?" Shaul nodded when Estella reassured him he was, and Olivander smiled. "You're the very image of him, you know."

"Thank you," said Shaul quietly.

The wandmaker turned and perused his shelves as the measuring tape began to measure the eleven-year-old boy. After a few moments, Ollivander turned back to them. "Interesting," he said thoughtfully. "I have two different ones here for you to try. This one..." he opened one of the boxes and held the wand out to Shaul "...a fine fir wand, 11 inches with a core of dragon heartstring. It's a survivor's wand, and wonderful for Transfiguration. Give it a wave."

Shaul waved the wand obediently, but nothing happened, and Ollivander nodded to himself. "Very well," he said, unwrapping the second wand. "This one is beech, for the tolerant and open-minded wizard. Unicorn hair, 12 and ¾ inches."

Shaul picked it up, his eyes lighting up as a rush of magic ran through him from the wand, his hair blowing gently. The second he waved it, silver sparks danced from the end of it as if happy to see him.

"Bravo, bravo!" cried Olivander, delighted at the match. "Well done. Now, are we paying separately, or together?"

"Separately," Estella answered, making the others look over at her. "I've got his." And she leaned down and signed for her little brother's wand.

Moments later, they were on their way to the Leaky Cauldron for a butterbeer of celebration before Estella had to leave them. Estella was laughing and joking with Corin and the others while Shaul watched, not attempting to join in even though they were trying to include him.

"Isn't Diagon Alley cool?" Ana said to Shaul with a grin. "I told you you'd like it."

"It's different," Shaul admitted. "I've not been out very many times, being in the orphanage and all."

"But now you get to be free!" the younger girl said, taking a butterbeer as her father handed them out as they were passed over the counter to him. "Cheers!"

"Cheers," Estella laughed, clinking her glass with her cousins and brother.

They were walking toward a table in the back corner when the two opened and a wizard walked in, the man turning and catching Estella's eye. _Aurors_. She switched her butterbeer to her left hand and drew her wand when she saw his expression change, barely shielding his curse in time. "What do you think you're doing?" she yelled at him as the force of their deflected spells destroyed a table and chairs nearby.

The door opened, and a pink-haired witch tripped unceremoniously into the pub. "Merlin's pa—" she began, then saw Estella with her wand drawn and eyes blazing. "Wotcher, Parkington," she said brightly. "No worries, Savage, she's just Estella. How about a butterbeer?"

Estella turned away from them, her heart pounding in shock at what had happened. Jonathan looked at her in concern, and Shaul asked, "Does that always happen to you?"

"Sometimes," Estella muttered.

"...just like her mother," they all heard the Auror say to Nymphadora as the two walked to the counter.

"I look a lot like mother," she sighed, looking at her brother. "I've been mistaken for her by Aurors twice now."

"And the Aurors are like wizard police?" Shaul asked, watching as one of the matrons hurried over and repaired the table and chairs.

Corin nodded. "They work for the Ministry and are usually pretty decent duellists."

Jonathan glanced at Estella. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, then looked down at her mug. Nymphadora was trying to catch her eye from across the room, and finally, Estella connected their minds, asking, _What do you want_?

_You didn't sneak out of Grimmauld, did you?_ Dora asked with a long-suffering sigh.

_No,_ Estella replied in annoyance. _Molly's around somewhere, supposed to be meeting us here and picking me up. __Go away__._

Shaul was still watching her, and Estella looked up at him with a rueful grin. "Were you talking to someone?" he asked knowingly, as all the Sages looked alarmed.

"Well, I—" Estella began, then lowered her voice and said, "That pink-haired Auror wanted to know if I'd run away from my adopted family."

Shaul shook his head slightly, looking down at his butterbeer. "Mathis can speak in people's minds too," he said. "He's been causing problems with it, too. Apparently it's very difficult for others to block out."

Estella groaned softly. "He'll do it to the wrong person eventually and they'll hurt him," she reassured her brother. "I did it to someone this summer and they gave me the worst mental backlash so that I got a really bad headache."

She looked up at Corin and his sisters. "Wait. He's been doing that to you?"

Corin nodded wearily. "Mum and Dad can't stop him because it's very hard to pinpoint because it's just thoughts," he said. "There isn't an easy way to interfere."

"Have you tried doing the feedback thing?" Estella asked sympathetically. "It hurts, but it will stop him, or make him less likely to do it."

"Practise with us," Corin joked, and Estella smirked at him.

She projected to all three of the young Sages at the same time, saying, _Stop me, I dare you_.

It took a few moments and a bit of smirking and taunting before Estella yelped slightly, curling into herself as she clutched her head. "Done it, done it," she gasped.

"Who did it?" Anabella asked eagerly.

"Ow, ow," panted Estella. "Arabelle. She's mean."

Arabelle giggled, then asked, "Are you okay? Do you need something?"

Estella reached up and rubbed her eyes. "No, I'll get a potion when I get back," she groaned. "Why do I do these things?"

Shaul looked around at all of them in concern. "It'll just make him angry," he said. "None of you know him like I do."

"We can deal with anger much better than we can thought projection," Jonathan said to Shaul. "Especially if it's he's doing it to children instead of adults."

"You haven't seen him angry," Shaul answered, sitting back in his chair and staring moodily at the wall.

"I'm assuming he has an uncontrollable rage, just like mother," Estella warned Jonathan with a sigh. "I have it sometimes, but it's subdued because I was always taught to control my feelings."

"It'll be fine," the man reassured her. "With two adults in the house, we can remedy whatever happens."

Estella nodded, then, spying Molly walk through the door of the pub, got to her feet and said, "Let me know what happens. I'll see most of you on the train tomorrow. Thanks for letting me join you." And she hurried off before Molly could approach their table.

The red-haired woman looked from Estella to the table in the corner and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," answered Estella, rubbing her temple gingerly. "I have a headache."

"Got into a fight, did you?" Molly asked suspiciously. "Of course."

"Not exactly," Estella muttered, but it didn't matter anyway.

Molly took her to the apparition point, grabbed her hand, and disapparated. They entered the house quickly, and Molly gave her the packages. "Take them upstairs and tell them to come down to the kitchen for supper," she ordered Estella. "Hurry up about it."

Estella took a deep breath as the kitchen door shut behind Molly, then levitated all the packages before her as she turned and climbed the stairs to Ron and Harry's floor. She swung open the door to their room and walked inside, depositing all packages on Ron's bed.

Ron immediately pounced on the broom-shaped package with feverish excitement, and Estella droned, "Molly says come downstairs for dinner; some of the Order is here already, I can feel them in the wards." She turned toward the door, then stopped and looked up toward the ceiling. "I've got to get Fred and George."

Estella turned around and looked at the three with a grin on her face. "Race you downstairs," she said, and disapparated to the twins' room.

"Hey!" Fred and George yelled at the same time, staring at her in amazement. It was at that moment that they heard Harry, Ron, and Hermione clattering down the stairs.

"We're racing them to dinner," Estella explained. "Drop the snackboxes: let's beat them."

Fred and George jumped to their feet and Estella grabbed their arms, disapparating with them to the kitchen. She immediately fell to the floor when they arrived, looking up at them as if they'd apparated her without warning.

Molly shrieked, then began to scold the twins for Side-Along apparating someone without proper training, and Estella burst into giggles, pointing at the door. "Here they come," she said.

The Golden Trio burst through the door, and Ron gaped at her. "No way," he said. "You couldn't have—oh."

"Completely unfair, really," Harry said, grinning, but Ron was staring at the banner hanging over the table, which read, "Congratulations, Ron and Hermione, new prefects."

Estella didn't say anything as she got to her feet, going over to sit by Tonks and Lupin, who were already there. Sirius and Kingsley sat opposite them while Fred and George sat down next to Estella, Fred leaning close to her. "Where'd you learn that?" he asked her, an eyebrow raised.

"A mentor I had first year," Estella answered. "You know, Harry killed him at the end of the year, as always."

"You mean—" George's eyes widened. "You-Know-Who?"

Estella nodded. "And I learned loads of other things too...Bill already knows. Remember that time we stayed at his place in Egypt? I had to apparate him to the Chamber in order to transport all the bitemates from the tombs."

The twins shared speechless looks, and Lupin said to Estella, "The Chamber of Secrets, right? You can apparate directly into it?"

"I can, because I'm in the wards of the Chamber," Estella told him. "The Chamber of Secrets is not covered by the Hogwarts' wards. It is a stand-alone area protected by specific Parselmouth wards."

"So you can go in and out of Hogwarts with no trouble whatsoever," Sirius said to her. "Well, you should have told me that a couple years ago. I'm assuming you can take people with you, right?"

"Let's not encourage underaged apparition without a license, Sirius," Kingsley chuckled, making Estella grin.

"Even I could apparate by fourteen years old," Nymphadora said with a shrug. "Mum and Dad just never let me do it at home."

"So can you add people to the wards of the Chamber?" asked Sirius thoughtfully.

"Yes, but only if I will it," Estella answered. "There are safeguards against the Imperius and things like that. The spells have to be done in Parseltongue, also."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "She'd never add you, Sirius," she said. "Besides, both her parents have access to the Chamber and you'd be a sitting duck."

"I think I can hold my own, thank you," Sirius said to his cousin haughtily.

"Against my seventeen bitemates?" Estella laughed. "I don't think so. Besides, there are so many safeguards in the Chamber. The serpent statues will attack on cue, rocks will plummet from the ceiling if someone agitates one of the Serpent Keepers, and other things are in place that even I don't know."

"Why haven't you taken any of us to the Chamber?" George wanted to know. "We're your _brothers_."

Estella smirked. "I did. I took Percy."

Both twins hissed in derision. "You've got to take us," he said. "Even Ron's been, and you said you took Bill, too. You owe us."

"I owe you nothing," Estella told them firmly. "If you really want to go, you'll have to make it worth it for me."

Nymphadora laughed heartily at this, and Estella finally realised that the witch was morphed to look like her older sister. While Estella was studying Tonks, Kingsley said, "So, Parkington, I hear that Savage tried to curse you at the Lucky Cauldron, but you were too fast for him." He chuckled at this, and Estella looked up at him.

"I knew the instant he walked in that something was going to happen," Estella admitted. "I didn't think it would be me, though." She turned to see MadEye enter the kitchen and nearly shrank behind Fred and George before remembering that he could see her anyway.

"MadEye," Molly greeted him. "I'm glad you're here. We've been waiting to clean out the desk in the drawing room until you could take a look at what's in it. We think it's just a boggart, but it's best to be safe."

"Hmm," said the ex-Auror, turning his magical eye and focusing it at the ceiling. "The drawing room desk, you say?" Molly confirmed it, and MadEye said, "Yeah, it is a boggart. I'll take care of it, if you like."

"Oh, no, I'll take care of it later," Molly told him. "Sit down with the rest. We're having a bit of a party: Ron and Hermione are prefects this year."

"Prefect, eh?" MadEye said, looking at the two fifth years. "I suppose Dumbledore believes you can withstand most first and second level jinxes, then."

Ron looked startled, and Estella grinned, turning back to her group as Tonks said, "I was never a prefect myself. My Head of House said I lacked the necessary qualities."

"Like what?" Estella laughed, reaching for a potato.

"Like the ability to behave myself, supposedly," Tonks shrugged, and Estella giggled, turned toward Sirius.

"What about you?" she asked.

"Oh no," Sirius said. "I'm about the same as Tonks. James and I got into too much trouble for us to be prefects. Remus was the good boy; he got the badge."

"All the detentions were worth it," Dora said firmly, smirking at Sirius and Remus.

"Damn right." Bill gave her a thumbs-up from down the table and ignored his mother's scolding about his words. "We would have been so lonely in detention without you."

Tonks laughed, the tips of her black hair tingeing pink. "School was so much fun," she said to Estella. "I wish I'd enjoyed it more than I did, but I had a great time anyway."

Estella nodded in agreement, continuing to eat her meal as she glanced at Mundungus, Fred, George, and Harry all chatting secretly in the corner. Dora too glanced at them, then said, "I wonder what he's selling them."

"Non-tradeable substances for their joke shop," Estella answered carelessly. "Difficult to get without knowledgable help."

"Are we supposed to get involved?" Kingsley mused, looking at Tonks.

She snorted into her teacup. "That would break the code of the brotherhood," she said. "And bring certain wrath on our heads."

"Don't be a Percy," Estella admonished them. "How else are they going to do these things at first?"

Tonks' eyes grew wide. "Speaking of Percy," she said in a hushed voice, "the strangest thing has happened at work now. Instead of Percy and Arthur being stiff and awkward around each other, they walk by each other proudly. It's as if they have an understanding."

Kingsley agreed, and Remus looked up with interest. "Know anything about that, Estella?" he asked her.

"Why don't you ask them?" Estella sighed. "I don't know everything, unfortunately."

"You always know at least something," Sirius told her. "Something that you learned that no one else knows. In fact, I'm curious. What do you know about me that no one else knows?"

"Nothing, really," Estella said, seeing Molly yawn, then get to her feet and excuse herself for the evening. "But I could find out some very interesting things if I wanted."

Remus chuckled. "So what do you know about me?" he asked.

Estella laughed. "Not much besides your obsession with chocolate," she said. "But that's by observation."

"Do you know anything particularly interesting about any of the Death Eaters?" Dora questioned thoughtfully.

"No, I only looked up things that I wanted to know something about," Estella answered. "And it was only first and second year that I did that."

She yawned, then sat up when MadEye turned to Lupin and Tonks, saying, "Molly's bitten off more than she can chew with the boggart. She'll be needing assistance."

Estella frowned at this as Tonks asked, "What do you think her boggart is?"

"She's seeing her whole family dead," the girl muttered in the quiet of the room.

Lupin and Sirius set off out of the room at a run, and MadEye stumped after them. Arthur and Bill looked down the table at Tonks and Estella, but the girl got to her feet and hurried after the adults, wanting to see what would happen.

She caught up to them as they entered the drawing room and stared in shock when she saw Harry lying on the ground, dead. As her heart pounded in shock, she moved to the side to let MadEye in the doorway and saw Harry alive and well, standing next to the wall.

In the next second, Lupin had done away with the boggart, and the dead Harry had gone. Molly burst into sobs on Lupin's shoulder. "I see them dead all the time!" she sobbed. "I see them in my dreams!"

"It's just a boggart," Lupin said. "Just a stupid boggart."

"It's just," Molly gasped, "half the family's in the Order, and it'll be a miracle if we all survive. And Percy's not speaking to us...what if something happens to him? And who's going to take care of the children if Arthur and I are killed?"

"That's enough, Molly," Lupin said firmly. "This isn't like last time. We're much better prepared, and we know what Voldemort's up to."

Molly gave a little squeal, and Lupin said, "Oh come on, Molly, you should be used to hearing his name by now. We can't promise no one will get hurt—no knows that. But we're better off this time."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "And don't worry about Percy," he said sourly. "It's a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open, and the Ministry'll be begging us to forgive them."

"He knows the truth," Estella said earnestly. "He left because Fudge asked him to spy on us: Percy told me so himself the night he left. He wanted to keep us safe, and that whole argument with Dad was a cover-up. Percy agrees with Dad, but wants to be less outspoken about it all. He knows the Dark Lord has returned: he's not blind."

"It can't be," Molly sputtered. "Does Arthur know that?"

"Yeah, I told him a couple weeks ago," she said. "Apparently, things are going better for them at work now. They treat each other as pureblood acquaintances instead of an estranged father and son."

"That's hardly better," Molly sighed.

"They're playing the game," Estella told her. "And I have all confidence in Percy: he will return to us."

Molly sniffed doubtfully, and Estella said, "The Order isn't going to put your children out on the street if something happens to you and Dad. They'll help." Estella looked at the floor where Harry's dead body had been. "One thing you can count on is that I will always protect my brothers as much as I can."

She looked at Estella sharply. "Even Ron?"

"He's got Harry and Hermione," Estella shrugged. "He'll be fine."

Molly dried her tears and looked around at them all. "Being silly," she muttered. "Please don't tell Arthur."

Estella nodded, sure that her dad already knew what had happened from the look he'd given her before she gone upstairs. She slipped out of the drawing room and went to her room to pack her trunk, still thinking about seeing dead Harry on the ground and feeling certain that Molly had not seen her own dead body as part of the boggart.


	9. First Night Party

The whole house was in an uproar the next morning as the students finished up their last minute packing and ran down to the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Estella ate very quickly, Ron and Hermione scarfing down their breakfast opposite her, and rushed back upstairs to check her room one last time for anything she'd missed.

On her way up the stairs, however, two trunks came zooming down from an upper level and collided into her, knocking her down the stairs into the main hall as she yelled in annoyance and shock. The portrait of Walburga, already having been set off several times, began to shriek again, and Estella sat up with a groan, the room spinning around her.

"Stel!" Fred and George ran down the stairs, reaching the girl at the same time as Mrs. Weasley.

"What were you thinking?" Molly shrieked at them as she checked Estella for broken bones and other things. "You could have done her a serious injury!"

"I'm fine," Estella groaned. "Let me go get my trunk."

"Absolutely not." Molly turned to the twins. "You two go get her trunk. Bring it down here and NO MAGIC this time."

Hermione passed them on her way up the stairs, presumably to check on Harry's progress, and Ron hollered downstairs, "Mum, have you seen my best quill?"

George leaned over the stairs from the flight above and answered him, "Drawing room, your highness."

Ron responded by slamming the door, and Estella got to her feet, seeing Tonks and Lupin talking quietly down the hall. Lupin seemed to be describing one of his charm class experiences with James and Sirius to her, and Dora was watching him attentively.

"That's the second time Sturgis hasn't shown up," MadEye Moody growled. "I'll be reporting that to Dumbledore. He's becoming as undependable as Mundungus."

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Molly yelled at the upper part of the house.

Remus and Dora joined them as the younger Weasleys came down the stairs with Harry and Hermione, Lupin saying to Estella, "You and the twins are going with me. Harry's going first, with Molly and Dora—Tonks," he said hastily at the expression on the Metamorphagus' face. "You know, I don't see why Estella can call you by your name and no one else can."

Tonks gave him a severe look. "You've got to earn it," she said. "Not many people have."

"Tonks, get going," Moody snapped at her. "You're supposed to be waiting on the first group."

"Aye-aye, captain," Tonks grinned, morphing and leaving the house.

"I don't get it," Lupin said with a sigh.

"She's a woman," Sirius smirked at his friend. "We never were very good with those. That was James' bit."

"You did fine with Alice, but you said she wasn't your type," Lupin reminded his friend. "James' dealings with girls were just as abysmal as the rest of us until Lily took pity on him."

The front door opened and Sirius morphed into his dog form, all the Weasleys, Harry, and Estella laughing as the black dog bounded out the door ahead of Harry.

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE," Molly yelled. "Dumbledore said NO!" Sirius did not come back, and Molly huffed, "Well, be it on your own head." She turned to her husband. "You know when to start out."

"Of course, Molly," Arthur answered, looking from Ron to Hermione. "We'll be right behind you."

It was only a twenty minute walk to the train station from Grimmauld, but it was uneventful and easy. Lupin and the twins discussed various ways of curing boils caused by hexes, and Estella sensed that both twins may have been suffering from some malady caused by self-testing their merchandise.

Once they arrived at the platform, MadEye gave them a few words of warning, and Lupin shook hands with them all. Dora hugged Estella and Hermione, saying, "I'm glad I met you two."

Harry turned and looked their way, his eyes widening just as Icythan hissed, "Missstress, the ones with torn magic are sssneaking to ssstrike."

"They are sssafe," Estella said softly, a grin splitting her face ear to ear as Rohan and Karntaan grabbed her by the arms, restraining her as they laughed at her slight resistance. "Hey," she said, looking between them. "You've grown!"

"That's all you've got to say?" Karntaan pretended to be disappointed. "We wondered if you'd even make the train: it's leaving in less than two minutes. Come on, Parkington. You promised you'd sit with us."

"Where's Meris?" Estella questioned them, as she raised one hand the best she could with Rohan holding tightly to her wrist and waved to the Order and the Weasley parents.

"Don't know," Karntaan admitted.

"I'm not responsible for my..." Rohan's eyes fell upon the black dog that was running around the Order members and Harry "...stupid cousin," he finished, turning away. "But I'm sure you'll go looking for him, of course."

Karntaan frowned at his twin, then at the dog as the three headed toward the train, all the Order standing defensively by the dog. "There's also something wrong with your Sage cousins, but they won't talk about it," he said. "Megan's sitting in Draco's compartment—what?"

Estella had stopped, and was looking back at Harry, Ron, and Hermione boarding the train. "They're prefects," she said. "Harry won't know what to do with himself."

"The Boy-Who-Lived can't ride a train on his own?" Rohan scoffed, then stared at her. "Wait. _Weasel_'s a prefect?"

"I have no idea what Dumbledore was thinking," Estella stated. "The idea of Ron being able to carry out the duties of a prefect is laughable."

Karntaan agreed with this, leading the way past the compartments very quickly as the train began to move. They burst into one of the Slytherin compartments, and Karntaan said, "Look out the window. Potter's babysitters brought the dog with them."

Pansy immediately turned and looked out the window, then squealed and called Draco to come over. The windows were filled with Slytherins until the train had gone around the bend and the platform had disappeared from view. Megan turned to Estella and said, "He's an idiot."

Estella nodded ruefully. "He's incorrigible," she said. "I've had to put up with him all summer."

"Later, Parkington," Draco sneered at her, flashing a serpent green prefect badge at her. "Come on, Pansy. We've got to go get _orders_ from the Head Boy and Girl."

Everyone else in the compartment burst into laughter, and Estella looked around. "Who are the Heads this year?"

"Alvin and Lauren," sighed Theodore Nott, shaking his head. "Alvin hasn't shut up about it ever since we got the letters."

"Perhaps next year, you'll have special privileges," Pansy smirked at Estella.

"Maybe I don't _want _them," Estella answered. "Only prats become prefects, and I'd rather have fun."

"Suit yourself," Draco smirked, and disappeared from the compartment with Pansy in tow.

Rohan turned to his twin and Estella. "Let's show her where we're sitting, and then she can have a word with her cousins before she rounds up Meris for us."

The other twin agreed, and they walked through the compartment to the next, where Corin sat with one of his sisters and Peony Parkinson. "Hello," Estella said to them. "Where's Arabelle?"

Corin looked up at her with a scowl, and she felt threatened, but didn't move. Finally, the boy said, "Why don't you go ask your brother about her?"

"It's not your fault," Ana said quickly. "It's just...well, you'll understand."

"Which brother?" Karnt asked the four Parselmouths.

"My blood brothers," answered Estella softly. "Shaul starts school this year, and Mathis is at home with Corin's parents."

"Once you understand, you'll know why we sent Shaul away from us," Anabella said.

Estella was horrified at this, concerned as to what her poor brother was going through and where on earth Arabelle was. She followed the twins to their compartment, then left them and hurried along through the corridor, looking for both Meris and Shaul.

She had just reached the next to last compartment when the door opened, and Meris stood there in the doorway. "Meris," she breathed, just as he said her name in the same tone, then motioned her to join them in the compartment.

"I was going to come look for you," Meris told her, and he stepped back, sitting down next to a small first year boy. "I've met your first brother, you see."

"Yeah," Estella said after a moment, looking at Shaul carefully. The boy looked as if he'd been jinxed and just had the anti-jinx done. He sat still, quiet as anything as he looked around, meeting his sister's gaze. "What happened?" she asked in concern, realising he was sitting with his arms wrapped around himself. "Are you cold?"

"No," Shaul answered sharply.

"Sit down, Stel," Meris said, waving the compartment door shut behind her. "Do you want me to tell her what's going on?"

Shaul shrugged, but focused his gaze on the floor of the compartment. Meris looked across at Estella and said, "You do thought projection, right?" She agreed, and he continued, "Your younger brother tried it again last night, and Arabelle hurt him in his mind, but instead of leaving her alone, he attacked her with wandless magic. She's being cared for at St Mungo's right now."

Estella's mouth fell open. "St Mungo's?"

Meris nodded. "When he got on the train with his three cousins today, they told him he couldn't sit with them, and when he argued, Corin hexed him," he explained. "I found him like that when I boarded."

"That's awful," Estella said, horrified.

"All I did was defend my brother," Shaul said, raising his head and glaring at Estella. "He's the only person I've grown up with, and none of you understand him."

"I do—"

"You don't," Shaul snapped at her. "Or your cousins' father wouldn't have assumed that he could handle Mathis. No one can. Only I can calm him down. Only I can make sure he behaves. He has no one now."

Estella felt like she'd been punched in the gut, staring at her little brother. "You're going to Hogwarts," she whispered. "He'll be joining you."

Shaul scowled. "In two years! Who knows what he'll do in that time? I shouldn't be here. I should be at the orphanage with my brother. We don't know this place: we don't belong."

The boy jumped to his feet as Estella went to say something else. "Don't bother," he said. "I don't want to hear it from you. I warned you about Mathis, but none of you listened."

"I warned them too!" Estella cried, wounded, and Meris gave her a warning look.

"But you don't know him," Shaul said, shaking his head. "They were talking about taking his familiar away: we overheard Jonathan and his brother talking about it. Said he wasn't one of the 'bitemates.' I've never seen Mathis so angry, Estella, or whatever your name is. You don't rip two brothers out of the only place they've ever known and separate them while taking one's most prized possession away from him. We were doing _fine _before you all came into our lives."

Estella couldn't speak, just staring at the boy as he turned and stormed out of the compartment. She said nothing as Meris moved over to sit next to her, slipping his arm around her. "He's so much like me," she whispered. "I didn't feel like I belonged, either."

Meris' hand rubbed her arm comfortingly as he said, "I've always felt as if I never fit in with the House of Lestrange. It's not an easy feeling to overcome, but you've almost done it, I think."

"My poor brothers," Estella breathed. "Meris, they're all alone."

"I know," he murmured against her hair. "We're all alone in this world until we find those that we identify with."

"I hope they'll be okay," she said worriedly, shaking her head before leaning against Meris' shoulder. "Shaul seemed so nice when I met him at first…."

She felt a trickle of magic from his hand flow down over her shoulder, and she giggled. "Is this going to be a repeat of last year?"

Meris smirked. "Last year, it was an accident."

"I see," Estella said, returning his smirk. "Perhaps a more private place, Meris?"

"We can put up wards," he reminded her.

"A more private place," she replied quietly, though she tugged his arm out from around her and tucked her hand into his, leaning her head against his shoulder.

They were both silent for a couple minutes until Meris said, "I have questions about us."

"So do I," agreed Estella, squeezing his hand. "Let's try to find out the answers this year."

"How do we know what the specific questions are?" he asked her.

"They're in our hearts, minds, and magics," Estella replied with a slight smile as she glanced out the window. "I think we're both aware of what we want to know."

Meris squeezed her hand, and she curled into his side, pleased to be there with him. They stayed that way, simply sitting in each other's company until the compartment door flew open and Karntaan stood in the doorway, scowling at the two of them with Rohan looking over his shoulder.

"Really?" Rohan snapped. "We're waiting on you to join us up front, and the two of you have stood us up for more than two hours while you're back here cuddling all cute. I don't give a shit about what you two do in your personal time, but we _made plans_. Parkington. Meris. I ought to curse both of you."

"You ought to try," Estella hissed lazily in Parseltongue, translating it to Meris in his mind. The boy smirked, and Estella said, "Apologies, boys. My brother and I were fighting, and Meris was trying to calm me down."

"Looked more like he wanted to rile you up," Karntaan muttered out of the corner of his mouth, though he looked amused.

"Care to talk now?" Rohan asked coldly.

"We don't have our timetables, do we?" Meris said. "We can't plan when to meet until after that."

"But we were going to discuss what to practise," Estella reminded him. "Sit down so I can ward the compartment."

The twins sat opposite their cousin and Estella, both of them watching her place the ward over them. "There," she said after a few seconds. "Now. We were going to practise all manner of hexes, jinxes, and curses, as well as blocking spells."

"We should start with the shielding spells, as much as I don't want to," Karntaan sighed. "We need to be able to defend ourselves as much as we need to know other hexes and jinxes."

"We'll need other helpful spells too," Meris nodded. "I'll put a list together of those for you."

"You're in this too," growled Rohan. "Even though you're trying to back out of it like a coward."

"I'm not a coward," snapped the oldest Lestrange. "I can see more clearly about these things than you do."

"You're going to end up a traitor!" Rohan accused him angrily, drawing his wand.

"Boys," Estella said firmly, pulling away from Meris and sitting up. "We all have our opinions, but there is no reason for us to be fighting. Honestly, if you want to hurt him, wait until you can do some actual damage."

Meris shot her a sarcastic look of thanks, and Rohan merely glared at them both. Karntaan reached into his school bag and pulled out a brightly coloured box. "Chocolate frog?" he invited them.

When the train stopped at the Hogsmeade station, Rohan hurried off and his twin sprinted after him to keep up. Meris got to his feet, taking Estella's hand and moving along the corridor with her. "Let's try to get our own carriage," he said. "We might have to run."

And they did. The two made it to the second carriage in the line, and Meris handed her up into the carriage before nimbly leaping inside after her and warding the entrance so that no one would notice their carriage. "Are you a traitor?" Estella asked him, holding out her hand to him.

"I hope not," Meris said, going and sitting next to her, taking her hand in his. "I...don't agree with my cousins. I don't want to rush into war like they do."

"Do you wish you were anyone else but a Lestrange?" Estella asked understandingly.

The boy chuckled, looking down at their clasped hands. "Sometimes," he answered. "Do you ever wish you weren't a Parkington?"

Estella nodded, then frowned. "I don't know," she said. "I think it would be different if my parents had actually raised me. I'm actually fighting with them right now."

"Oh," Meris said, squeezing her hand slightly. "Sorry to hear that. I guess it's not going to get any better now that your brother declared he doesn't want to talk to you?"

"Why did you have to mention that?" Estella groaned, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to conveniently forget that while keeping an eye on him. It's my duty as big sister to look out for him."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Meris said quietly. "After all, you're fine."

Estella didn't move. "I was raised by Weasleys," she whispered. "He was raised by Muggles. I don't know what's going to happen...I'm afraid for him, and the decisions he'll make—we didn't even talk about what House he should be in…."

Meris nodded slowly and did not reply.

* * *

The two soon left the carriages and walked up the steps through the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall, Estella looking up at the banners over the House tables with a somber expression. Meris led the way to the Slytherin House table, greeting some of their other housemates.

Lauren Avery looked over and gave them a smile. "Estella!" she said brightly, motioning the girl over to her. "Come here."

Estella walked to her, frowning as she wondered what the Head Girl wanted from her. The blonde witch first said, "You don't seem happy, Parkington. What's going on?"

"You'll know soon enough," Estella answered. "You, on the other hand, seem absolutely _delighted_ for some reason. What's got you so thrilled?"

"Well..." Lauren blushed, and Alvin laughed, leaning over and wrapping his arm around her. "I'm getting married next summer. Alvin and I are betrothed."

"Oooh!" Estella said excitedly, her eyes widening. "Congratulations!" She glanced at the young man. "You'd better be good to her, Alvin Nott. She's a prize."

"I know," Alvin chuckled. "Thanks for the confidence, Estella."

Lauren giggled slightly and Alvin's younger brother looked over at them. "Seems he's getting everything he ever wanted this year," Theodore said matter-of-factly.

"He had most of it anyway," Estella shrugged.

"_Estella_!" Lauren said in shock, and Estella heard Meris and Theo laughing at them.

"What?" Estella asked, then smirked and turned around, going back to sit next to Meris.

They watched some of the others file in, seeing Draco swagger in with Crabbe and Goyle, the Lestrange twins following after and talking together in low voices. Corin and Ana joined the others soon after, Ana hissing, "Did you find him?"

Estella glanced in the opposite direction and replied, "Yesss, he wasss angry."

Ana rolled her eyes and sat down beside her cousin. "Arabelle's still at St Mungo's, but they think she'll go home tomorrow," she said. "Then she'll be here tomorrow evening."

"Both young onesss are angry," Sebring hissed, slithering out of Estella's robe and wrapping around her waist again. "Missstress's nessstmatesss are unhappy in their new nestsss, Nisi saysss."

"How isss Mathisss?" Estella asked in concern, remembering her youngest brother.

"He's...misbehaving," Ana answered. "He hasn't stopped giving Mum and Dad trouble even though Mother has tried to reason with him and be nice. But he won't cooperate. He won't even be convinced that he should behave because we're just trying to help out your family. He doesn't see it as helping."

"Ana," Corin said with a warning look.

Estella leaned back to look at Corin and caught sight of Harry and his friends walking into the Great Hall. The very moment she saw Ron Weasley, she gasped in shock, looking back at Corin in horror. "Why, I did the same thing when I was removed from the orphanage," she breathed. "I attacked Ron, and they hated me—what did your parents do to Mathis after he hurt Arabelle?"

Ana went to answer, but Corin kicked her and she stifled a yelp. He turned to Estella and answered, "Why don't you have a conversation with Father and find out what's going on, Estella."

She did not reply, filled with fear and upset about both her brothers, though she could not dwell on this as the Great Hall was soon filled with people and Professor McGonagall led the First Years into the hall. Estella watched nervously, though Shaul merely watched everything that was happening around him with a frown on his face.

The boy seemed to take it all in, waiting his turn as he watched the others be Sorted. He walked forward when his name was called, though his expression only seemed to darken when he realised that people recognised his name. He took his seat on the sorting stool and received the Hat onto his head, immediately closing his eyes and seeming to steel himself against what was about to happen.

Minutes passed. People were starting to whisper about what they thought the Sorting Hat might be saying, and several Slytherins were looking down the table at Estella. "Essstella, what did you tell him?" Megan hissed down the table at her.

"I didn't sssay anything," Estella retorted. "I didn't get a chance!"

Megan raised an eyebrow at this, and looked back at the boy who was still sitting at the front of the room, the Sorting Hat on his head. Estella watched her brother, nearly holding her breath as she waited for the Sorting Hat to announce his house.

It was still a couple of minutes more before the Sorting Hat announced, "SLYTHERIN!"

In the very next second, a shiver of magic ran through the Great Hall, and people stared up in shock as the stone serpents that were part of the hall's decorations moved and began hissing in Parseltongue. The young men at the Slytherin House table were all exchanging looks of surprise, and Estella heard Alvin breathe, "_Heir magic_."

Shaul got to his feet and walked to the Slytherin House table as the table cheered for him, even Corin and Ana. The boy sat down next to Meris, his face clearly telling everyone to leave him alone. Estella didn't say a word to the boy, but she heard Meris tell him, "Welcome."

Twenty minutes later, the Sorting was finished, and everyone was waiting for Dumbledore to announce the feast when an awful-looking woman in a pink suit cleared her throat in a very annoying manner, looking up at Dumbledore.

"If I may say a few words to the students," the witch simpered, looking out across the Great Hall, "about the changes this year."

Estella glanced over at Meris. "This is that Umbridge woman everyone's been talking about?" she said in disbelief.

"Yeah," Meris muttered. "Ew. Who would want _that_ to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"It wasn't Dumbledore's choice," Draco confided to those around him with a smirk. "The Ministry sent her here."

"To spy," Estella said flatly. "Of course."

"Why is the Ministry spying on us?" Shaul said to Meris quietly.

"Not us," Meris replied. "Dumbledore. I'll have to explain when we're back in the common room. It's complicated."

Many of the other students started talking to each other during Professor Umbridge's speech, and Estella even stopped paying attention, tapping her fingers on the table in boredom. Everyone seemed to come alive again the moment the woman stopped talking, and there was some grudging applause before Dumbledore announced the feast.

Estella immediately began to serve herself, glancing at Meris. "Chicken?" she asked him.

"Sure," he mumbled through a mouthful of vegetables, and she giggled at him.

"Hisssusss!" the bitemates demanded, and Estella saw her brother look over her at her rather quickly.

"I will feed you thisss evening," Estella answered softly. "Not during the feast."

They hissed in disappointment and Estella continued laughing and talking with Meris and the others around her. It was when the prefects were told to take the First Years back to their dorms that Meris turned to Estella and asked, "Are you going directly to sleep after the party tonight?"

"Most likely," Estella answered, glancing up to see Pansy and Draco rounding up the Slytherin First Years. "Let's head down to the Common room so we can get central seats for the party."

As she and Meris were getting to their feet, she heard Megan hiss, "Essstella, Professor McGonagall wantsss usss to meet her in her office now."

Estella raised an eyebrow. "But I haven't done anything yet!"

"Essstella," Megan sighed, "you'll understand soon enough. It'll effect you the rest of the year."

"Oh." Estella smirked. "Now, it all makes sense."

Megan shook her head slightly. "Come along, Parkington." She laughed as Shaul looked up at her. "Not you, Parkington," she told him.

Estella glanced at Meris. "Save me a seat in the Common Room," she told him.

"Wait, where are you going?" Meris frowned, looking between her and Megan and realising the two had been talking.

"McGonagall's office, but I don't know why," Estella shrugged. "We'll see if I know by the time I return." She turned and walked away with Megan, asking, "What'sss going on?"

"I'm attempting to get you sheltered," Megan replied, then switched to Parseltongue. "That way, you can stay with us and go to classes with us this year, and perhaps the rest of the time you're at Hogwarts."

"Oh." Estella gave her cousin a small smile. "That would be cool," she agreed. "So...how does this kind of thing work?"

"I think they'll explain it to us," Megan answered, then sighed. "Don't make me regret this, Estella."

Estella frowned. "Why? What did you have to do?"

Megan shook her head slightly. "People are going to know that I did it, that's all," she said. "You have a reputation for doing strange things."

"And yet you're still doing this," the dark-haired girl pointed out.

"Yes," Megan replied, "but your brother is here this year, and I thought it might be nice for you to be here with him, and also to attend classes with us. And at the same time, you would actually be able to stay here with us." The redhead huffed in annoyance. "I'm too nice," she said. "That is, if they allow it."

"Wait, there's a question?" Estella asked.

"That's what the meeting is," Megan answered, turning down the corridor where the office was. "They want to discuss things with you."

Estella nodded slightly, waiting as the other girl knocked on the door. They were granted entrance after a moment, and Estella was disturbed to see that not only was Professor McGonagall there, but so was Snape—and the Umbridge woman.

"Professors," she said, nodding to them all.

"Miss Parkington," Professor McGonagall began, "Miss Sage has offered to shelter you in her House. Such a thing has not happened in this school for eighty years."

Professor Snape regarded both of the students, annoyed as usual. "Miss Sage is usually far more intelligent."

Estella frowned. "Well, what does it even mean?" she asked.

"Sheltering a student only happens when a student from a certain House feels that they no longer belong with the House they were Sorted into," McGonagall explained. "Or that they never belonged at all."

"There have also been instances where students have had to be sheltered by other Houses for their own safety," Snape said with a sneer. "Though, that was in the old days, when duels were fought to the death."

"There's no danger now, though," Umbridge said sweetly, and Estella raised an eyebrow.

"Professor," Estella said, "children are mean, and petty. Every single Hogwarts House. Though I like to think I can take care of myself, I have had quite a few pranks played on me, and been cursed several times by my Gryffindor roommates."

"And Estella isn't weak," Megan said. "It's simply inconvenient for her to stay with those who don't accept her and encourage her in her studies here."

McGonagall looked at Estella carefully. "Do you honestly feel that you do not belong and are not accepted in Gryffindor, Miss Parkington?"

Estella frowned. "I don't belong there," she said. "And honestly, Professor, I had no idea who I was when I first came to Hogwarts. My memories of my real parents had been hidden to make me 'behave' in the Weasley household. I should not have been a Gryffindor in the first place. I would never have chosen that if I had known."

"This will not change the House the Sorting Hat gave you," Snape told her. "I have no doubts as to whether you belong there."

She wanted to glare at him, or say something witty, but she did neither, ignoring his words. "So what will it do, then? Megan said it would allow me to attend classes with the Slytherins in my year?"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "You would reside with Slytherin House, and your class schedule would be nearly the same as Miss Sage and the other Slytherin girls."

"You would answer to me," Snape informed her with a smirk.

"And you would be on the Slytherin House point system," Megan interjected, "so you'll behave, or else."

"Oh." Estella was alarmed for a moment, then decided that would be fine. "Okay."

"The headmaster still has to approve," McGonagall said to her. "But nevertheless, your first class of the morning will be Transfiguration, as it is a joint class. We should have an answer by that time."

"Thank you," Estella said. "So, do I wear the Slytherin crest, too?"

"It seems that you have already taken to that in some measure," McGonagall answered, "but if this is approved, then yes, you are under the Slytherin banner."

Estella nodded seriously, and Umbridge smiled at her. "I'm proud of you, dear, for coming forward. The Sorting Hat says it is never wrong, but several times, there has been reason to doubt it."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I'd never trust that Hat," she said. "I'll definitely warn my children about it. I honestly think that the Hat might be warded in a way that causes it to try to persuade any descendent of Salazar Slytherin to be a Gryffindor. It's out to get us."

Umbridge laughed, a high, uncomfortable sound. "Very well, dear," she said. "Now go on and get some rest before the morning."

Estella nodded to the woman, then looked between the other two professors. "Is that all?" she asked.

"That is all, Miss Parkington," McGonagall said, and the two girls left the office quickly.

They made their way toward the Slytherin Common Room, and were nearly there when Megan said, "I hope Dumbledore approves it. It'd be rubbish if he denies it, and I hope he doesn't call you in and question you again."

"I don't know," Estella mused. "I might have had a better chance if I could have talked to him face to face, but...he's kind of busy with rebel things at the moment."

"Oh, yeah," Megan laughed. "How was your summer?"

"Sirius Black has a high tolerance for basilisk venom," giggled Estella, and Megan gaped at her. "But I left him in pain for a couple weeks before I helped him finally. Also, I was locked up at the Order headquarters for most of the summer, and didn't have much to do besides read the old books I found around the place. I never knew there was a spell to make your bones splinter and creep through your body like worms."

Megan raised both eyebrows. "What kind of place is _that_?" she said in surprise.

"An icky old place that used to be a grand pureblood home," Estella answered. "It was all infested with a bunch of things—we spent a lot of the summer cleaning it out, too."

"Nice," Megan said, then turned to the bust of Salazar Slytherin and announced, "Destruction."

The door to the Common Room opened, and Estella followed her cousin into the room, immediately seeing Draco confronting her little brother while Meris and his twin cousins stood to the side, unsure of what to do. Estella moved forward, not in Draco's line of sight, and listened.

"You may order others around, Malfoy, but it doesn't make you special," Shaul was saying. "I could beat you up with my bare hands: you're weak. I've met your kind at the orphanage: you're just a bully."

Estella raised both eyebrows at this just as Draco shot a spell at her brother. Shaul dodged the curse, standing his ground. "Fight me, you coward," the younger boy said, and the Lestrange twins both called out, "Oooh! What about that, Draco?"

"You just want attention, don't you?" Draco sneered at Shaul, and Estella stepped forward so that Draco would see her. "You're too much like your sister—though I don't know how, because you don't even know each other."

"It's a family thing," Estella sighed, giving him a condescending look. "You wouldn't understand, Draco."

"Who is he?" Shaul asked her in annoyance. "And why do people let him act like this?"

"Well, I don't tolerate him as long as he leaves me alone," Estella shrugged. "This is Draco Malfoy. He's from one of the high society, pureblood wizarding families, and his dad's a smooth-talking, money-flashing bastard. Draco can't help being an arrogant git—wait until you meet his father—then you'll understand."

"Estella, this does not concern you," Draco snapped at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're messing with my family, Malfoy. That concerns me slightly."

Draco smirked. "He started it."

"I refused to give up my seat," Shaul replied, a smirk on his own face. "I told him there were plenty of seats to go around."

"Oh, honestly," Estella sighed. "It's the first day, Draco, are we really going to fight over a chair? It's not worth it. There are more important things, like the Dark Lord's return."

The students of Slytherin House seemed to freeze for a moment, and Alvin finally said, "Parkington, I don't deny what's happening in our world, but you would be wise not to mention it too loudly. Umbridge is here to spy on us from the Ministry, and is not truly on our side. She will not appreciate comments like that, and undoubtedly, she will be gathering her spies."

Estella looked at the seventh year, and nodded with a frown. "Let's not argue over chairs," she said. "Draco, pick on someone else. My brother is off-limits, or I will find you, and I will make you hurt."

"You couldn't manage that last time," Draco scoffed. "I only stopped because Nymphie showed up to save you."

"Nymphie was amused at your pitiful attempts to torture me," Estella replied. "And I think you'll recall the last curse I performed on you, right before the Third Task last year? If I fail to curse you, the bitemates will get you. They have a torture bite...I tried it out this summer on Sirius Black—but I doubt you have the pain tolerance that he does."

Draco glared at her, but did not reply or ask questions as he walked away and went over to join a game of Quit. Shaul turned to her with a look of annoyance. "Why did you interfere?"

"He addressed me," Estella answered, affronted. "It's the first day, Shaul. I know that soon enough, you'll be handling him on your own. We're not going to the Hospital Wing already this year."

"He's going to try to get revenge, isn't he?" Shaul asked.

"I don't think so," Estella shrugged. "I mean, he and I have an ongoing feud because I was raised by his least favourite family in the world: the Weasleys. But he'll hopefully leave you alone now. Perhaps you ought to take a couple of the bitemates in order to keep you safe. They'll be able to tell me if he approaches you."

"No," Shaul said quickly, then clarified, "I don't like to hold serpents. Mathis does, but I don't. And I don't know them at all."

"All right," Estella answered.

"Stel?" Meris was standing closer to her than she realised and she startled slightly. "Sorry," he said. "Did you say something earlier about visiting the Sage house tonight? Corin asked me to remind you."

Shaul frowned, and Estella nodded. "I'm supposed to go talk to him about everything—I guess I should go before it gets too late. Be careful here, Shaul. Slytherins are a little dangerous sometimes."

The boy nodded, and Estella left the Common Room, quickly moving toward the Deep. She found the place and disapparated from Hogwarts. The moment she arrived at the Sage home, she immediately went to the door and made her presence known. She was sure that they knew at that moment, but it still took them several minutes to answer the door.

"Estella," Jonathan Sage said, opening the door to her. "What brings you here?"

"I want to see my brother," Estella said plainly.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Jonathan said to her, stepping back and allowing her into the house.

"He did just what I did when the Weasleys took me from the orphanage," the girl breathed. "I need to talk to him, Jonathan, please."

He frowned at her slightly. "You don't have your bitemates on you, do you?"

Estella looked him straight in the eyes. "No," she answered. "I'm just Estella."

The man sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," he said, motioning her to follow him. "I will give you a few minutes with him, but I want you to call me if you need help. Do you understand?"

Estella nodded, and Jonathan turned toward a door, beginning to take down the wards. She felt awful as she watched him unlock the door that led to her brother.

"Go," he said. "I'll be waiting."

She opened the door cautiously, stepping inside and seeing the small boy with his back to the wall by his bed. He looked defiant, but his sister could tell that he was scared.

Estella closed the door, feeling some of the wards go back up. "You don't look okay," she said softly. "Mathis, have they hurt you?"

"Why would you care?" he shot at her. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be at that school with your precious little cousins."

"I'll go when I know you're all right," Estella replied firmly. "You're my brother, and I care about all of you." She walked further into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Mathis: have they hurt you?"

"Not really," the boy said slowly, though he did walk closer to his sister. "But that boy said that you were the one that taught them to block that mind-whispering stuff. Why would you tell them that? It gave me a really bad headache."

"I'm sorry," Estella told him honestly. "I shouldn't have said anything about it. I know it hurts and I shouldn't have told them that."

Mathis Parkington studied her for a moment, then said, "I hurt her. I hurt the little girl when she did what you told her. Then they locked me in this room and won't let me go. Melissa tried to talk to me, but I shocked her when she bothered me. She hasn't been back."

Estella took a deep breath. "Missy is very kind, and the Sage family means well—"

"I don't belong here." The boy was staring straight at her, a pleading, urgent look in his eyes. "They're going to take Raisson away—Shaul heard them talking. I can't let them—I don't want to stay here."

"I—" Estella bit her lip nervously. "I don't know what I can do...Mum and Dad asked them to keep you and Shaul..."

"Please," Mathis said, his eyes boring into hers. "Don't leave me here, Estella. This family might like you, but they're not mine."

"Well..." Estella thought for a moment. "I can take you to meet them, and you can talk about it, okay?"

Mathis nodded seriously, and Estella said, "I want you to know that I did the same thing when I left the orphanage: I attacked the youngest member of the family who took me in."

"And you're still with them?" Mathis frowned.

"Yeah," Estella sighed. "It's a long story that I'll have to tell you sometime." She got to her feet. "Let me go chat with Jonathan for a moment and I'll be back to get you in a moment."

She left the room, finding Jonathan waiting for her as he'd said. "I want him to meet Mum and Dad."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Are they there? What do they say about it?"

"We're fighting right now, so I don't know," Estella replied with a slight frown. "But if they're not, they'll be back, and he's their son: they should be fine with it."

Jonathan looked at her for a moment, then said, "I think we underestimated both of your brothers."

"I did too," Estella agreed. "Let me take him to the Chamber and at least talk to Dad."

"You're not bringing him back, are you?" Jonathan said thoughtfully.

"I don't know," Estella answered. "But I want him to feel safe, and loved—not be like me."

"Of course," he answered quietly. "Well, he's welcome to return, but let me know, all right?" He released the wards, and Estella sighed gratefully.

"Thanks," she said, going back to the room and poking her head into the room. "Come on," she said. "We're going to go see Mum and Dad, Mathis."

The boy nodded and asked, "Do I have to come back?"

"We'll have to see," Estella answered. "Now don't be surprised if Mum yells at me: we're kind of fighting right now."

"Oh." Mathis frowned at this. "Do you always fight with them?"

"No," Estella sighed. "We just disagree—a lot. It's because we want to be a family, but we're very different."

She shrank her brother's belongings and put them in her pocket. "Come on," she said. "Let's go quickly."

Mathis followed her, moving closer to her when he saw that Jonathan was waiting. The man asked Estella, "Are you going to need the Floo?"

"No, I'm going to apparate directly to the Chamber," she answered. "And he'll probably be staying there for tonight, if not longer."

Jonathan agree passively and opened the gates for them. "Be careful out there," he said to them.

Estella nodded, then reached out and took her brother's hand and disapparated. They appeared in one of the entrance corridors of the Chamber and Estella cautioned Mathis, "Stay close: there are a lot of passageways."

As she led him toward the main room, he asked, "What is this place?"

"This is the Chamber of Secrets," Estella replied. "Our ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, created this place which is beneath Hogwarts and accessible only by Parseltongue. We are very unique, Mathis. Our family is special."

"If this is our place, then why weren't we raised here?" the boy frowned. "If no one can harm us?"

Estella sighed. "Trust me, I wondered the same thing," she said. "But I think it's because they had other things to do besides look after children."

Mathis Parkington frowned. "Like what?"

"Mum and Dad belong to the Dark Lord," Estella answered. "And even though he wasn't active at the time, they were still doing his work."

"Oh," Mathis said suddenly, startled as he saw a man and a woman waiting for them. "Is that…?"

"Mum and Dad, yeah," Estella nodded, motioning him forward. "Go on: they haven't seen you in years."

Meretta smiled at her youngest child. "Mathis," she said gently. "Welcome."

The young boy smiled nervously and walked forward as his mother knelt and welcomed him into her arms, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to her son. "I shouldn't have left you and your brother."

"Mum," the boy murmured, holding onto her tightly. "Why didn't you come back sooner? I don't remember you, or Dad, and neither does Shaul."

"I didn't want to live here in the Chamber," Meretta sighed, "and since we were on the run, there was no other safe place."

"Am I going to stay here now?" asked Mathis, looking from the woman to the man. "I don't want to go back to that house."

"Weren't they nice to you?" Reginald frowned, and Mathis nodded.

"But they're not my family," the boy said. "And Jonathan's brother was going to take Raissson away from me." He looked up at his father carefully. "You're not going to try to take him away too, are you?"

Reginald Parkington shook his head. "No," he replied. "Our serpents can be co-held with other species. I believe Jonathan and Anthony were concerned that another serpent would disrupt the bond—but it's specific to the venom, and I don't think it'll be a problem."

Meris still looked uncomfortable. "I don't want other serpents," he said.

"You don't have to have them," Estella told him. "But they're a safe and convenient method of communication in our family. It would be nice to know if you're in danger and where you are—and the bitemates can also teach you about your surroundings."

"Maybe one day," said the boy, and his sister gave him a look. "I don't know you," he told her. "Why would I want a direct connection to you?"

"Well, you're safe here," Estella replied, "but up there—" she pointed to the ceiling "in the school, it's not safe. Once you're in school, it won't be easy."

"Is Shaul okay?" Mathis frowned.

Estella hesitated. "Yes and no," she answered. "He and Draco are already at odds."

Meretta burst into giggles, her laughter only increasing when Mathis asked, "Draco? What kind of a name is that?"

"He's a bully," Estella answered, giggling too. "But he's from a high society pureblood wizarding family—well known. House of Malfoy."

Reginald looked at his daughter carefully. "They are no more high society than we are," he said. "We are the same class."

"We're better," Estella told her brother. "Malfoys are mean, but weak."

"What happened to Shaul?" Meretta asked curiously.

"Well, I missed the first bit of it, but from what I've learned," Estella began, "Draco wanted Shaul's seat in the Common Room and Shaul told him off. There was a bit of a moment, but Draco backed off."

She turned to her brother. "Learn a few hexes with one of us before you start school," she advised. "Merlin knows you'll need it."

"Will Shaul be learning them?" Mathis asked. "He's not stupid—but I'm the strong one."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Meretta smiled. "He can always come down here and talk if he wants to: Estella will show him the way."

"The Chamber is confusing if you don't know your way," Estella grinned. "When I first came down here, I got hopelessly lost. But I'm sure you'll be fine."

She then turned to the whole family. "Well, I've got to get back to the First Night Party. Megan offered to shelter me for the rest of my school years, but Dumbles still has to approve."

"Oh," said Reginald. "You know, that rule was instituted by our family, Estella. The Sorting Hat hates us."

"Wait—I was right?" Estella gasped. "Does it really try to put all of our family in Gryffindor?"

"It tried me when I started Hogwarts," Reginald answered. "Tried to give me anything but Slytherin."

His wife stared at him. "You never told me that!"

He simply shrugged. "I had been taught better, and it wasn't necessary."

"I didn't talk to Shaul about the Sorting at all," Estella breathed. "That could have been awful!"

"Jonathan talked to him," Reginald sighed, "and thank Merlin he listened."

"Does their family have this too?" Estella said in disbelief.

Reginald nodded. "Not all, but quite a lot of them. But because of all this, generations ago, something happened and one of our ancestors was a Gryffindor," he told his wife and children. "He had to be sheltered when he realised it, and that's when that rule fell into place."

"This makes absolutely zero sense," Mathis said decidedly.

Meretta looked at him strangely. "You have no idea what we're talking about, do you?" she murmured.

Reginald also seemed Stunned, and Estella stepped forward. "I can't stay to talk about it all," she told him, "but I'll be back every so often to see you and bring Shaul by."

She huffed at her parents. "Stop it," she snapped at them. "It's not their fault they don't know. They're worse off than I was."

"Estella, walk with me." It was an order from her father, and she followed him quickly as Meretta began to tell Mathis about Hogwarts.

When they were a safe distance away, he said, "I know you've been unhappy lately, Estella, and I'm not going to ask you to pretend."

The black-haired witch crossed her arms. "Then what do you want?"

Her father looked at her for a moment. "I want to know how I can help you," he said quietly. "Don't be angry, please."

Estella felt a large amount of anger inside wanting to break out, and turned away. "I don't know what's going on," she said shortly. "I'm angry, I'm stressed, I'm worried, we're going to war, I've been locked up all summer, and now I have family complications—I can't handle it all. But I don't want my brothers to be hurt." She glared at the wall.

"We can't protect our loved ones from everything," Reginald said gently.

"No, but we should at least try," Estella snapped, seeing her father recoil and feeling terrible that she had hurt him. She stepped back, wishing she had just left. "I will always help my brothers," she breathed. "I will do whatever I can to make sure they're okay."

Her magic crackled and she shivered. "I need to go," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," he sighed. "Goodnight, Estella."

"Night," she said, and hurried to escape the Chamber.


End file.
